Michele Anna Robotham Corey

Dear Corey Family: Michele was my dear friend, fellow Michele, and my twin in child advocacy. I admired her championing for children throughout her whole career. We met when we were naïve 24 year olds having recently graduated and ready to change the world for kids. I cannot begin to tell you how many advocacy trainings we did together as M&M. We used to spend hours at the FlapJack Shack, Batterup Bistro or Soup Spoon commiserating about the legislature, nonprofits, and coming up with another new strategy to make things better for children, youth, and their families. She was the last person I had lunch with before our complete lockdown and I am so grateful we did. She and all of you are in my prayers!

Michele what a beautiful soul who will be missed by all who knew her. Our prayers to the entire Corey family.

My prayers for the entire Corey family.

Michele was one of the sweetest, caring, loving and most generous people we were lucky enough to have known. No matter what the situation God had for her she always had that great and beautiful smile as she always thought of others before herself. She will be deeply missed, we love you Tom and are thinking of you and Michele’s beautiful children.
Mitch and Cindy

Thoughts and prayers to the Corey family. Michele will be deeply missed by all. Thinking of you!

Michele was an amazing, beautiful soul!! Deepest sympathies are offered, along with thoughts and prayers for your family.

Tom & family,

Michele’s smile could light up any room and she had the most beautiful heart and soul and contagious laugh. It was truly an honor and blessing to know her. There are no words that could even begin to express how sorry I am for your loss. I will keep you all in my prayers and although she is no longer here on this earth, her beauty and love will continue on in the faces of your beautiful children.

Sending love and hugs,

Lorie Warner

Michele was one of the funniest, sweetest people I knew. She was always so kind, so welcoming to everyone around her. Heaven has definitely gained an angel. Our thoughts go out to all the Corey family and Michele’s parents and family.

The Winey Family

Our Aunt Michele was a beautiful person and an incredible Aunt. We are so sad. Very similar to our Gidu and Situ Corey, she made you feel like you were her favorite. She portrayed that she liked all her nieces and nephews the same, but each of us had a connection with Aunt Michele and you felt deep down you were definitely her favorite.

As I type this out and dry my eyes I think about her infectious smile, how sneaky funny she was, and her unforgettable laugh. She will be missed by so many people.

The world has lost one of the good ones in a time when it could really use A LOT more Michele Corey’s around. I’m frustrated, I’m sad, and our hearts are broken. With time it will mend, but never fully heal.

I am so sad for her parents, my uncle, and my cousins. She was such a cool mom and an inspiration on how I want to raise my own children.

If I could say anything right now to her, I would thank her. Thank her for being an amazing Aunt. The kind of Aunt you want as a kid and you appreciate more as an adult.

To my Uncle Tom, Madonna, Jake, Andrew, and Sarah we are here for you. Your wife, your mother, she will live in our hearts forever.

Love all your Nieces and Nephews, especially your favorite one.

Ray, Ariel, & Lucy

May the angels welcome her to Paradise. May happy memories sustain and console all who love her until you meet again.
Prayers and our deepest sympathy,
The Moreau Family

Dear Corey family and my dear Andrew. Your Mom was always in my prayers. Far too young. Our sadness is heaven’s joy. Her love for all of you will guide you all your life.

Corey Family,
We are so saddened to hear of Michele’s passing. She was a wonderful person with a great spirit and we really enjoyed hanging out with her for all the various soccer functions.
Prayers and Sympathy,
Joe, Diane, Alec, Jack, Sam & Lily Gonzalez

A bright light has gone out, but Michele’s smile will now be in the heavens. I echo all the previous comments: Beautiful soul and person. Heaven’s gain. Courageous spirit. May the angels sing thee to thy rest. To Tom, Jacob, Andrew, Sarah, Madonna, and Grandma Kate-thinking of you during this difficult time. Know this community is here for you.

Justin, Estina, Emmagrace, and Carter Banks

Our hearts are saddened for you all with the loss of your wife and mother. Michele is a treasure. Many your many happy memories bring you comfort and peace at this very difficult time. We are here for all of you. Michele will always be in our hearts as we are sure that she is in yours.

I am so very sorry to hear of Michele’s passing. She was a wonderful advocate for children and will be so missed our community. My deepest sympathies to the Corey family.

I knew Michele from the work she so embraced as an advocate for children. A passionate soul with the warmest heart. My thoughts and prayers are with the Corey family.

As a social worker in the Lansing commuity I’ve often read things authored by Michele Corey, through Michigan’s Children or been part of conference calls or various work groups. However I didn’t really know her and only met her in person once a few years ago when she presented at an Infant Mental Health conference. Yet that one time, I witnessesd her energy, passion and kindness and her dedication to encouraging us all to be advocates for children and families. I last heard her voice on a state wide video call in February for Kinship Care, where she said acknowledged not turning on her camera, as she hadn’t been well. And that was it, very simple, straightforward and then it was back to the advocacy and sharing stories and building relationships and focusing on the task at hand. After reading the wonderful testimonials of her family, friends, co-workers and community, she will be terribly missed but never forgotten with the many stories and connections she made. We must continue the work and resolve to carry on her spirit, energy, compassion and grace. Grateful to have crossed paths, even if briefly, her legacy lives on.

Michele has been leading the foundations and innovations in advocacy for children for as long as I can remember. Never was there a gathering, meeting or effort of importance for children that wasn’t led by or didn’t include Michele. She brought pure, straightforward strength to creating better lives for children and their families. Michele brought to everything she did unparalleled spirit, kindness and enthusiasm. She thought the best of everyone and expected that as well. You could always count on her! My last “in-person” meeting with her, on zoom, took place in December when we not only discussed the business of child advocacy but also what was happening with our own families. Michele’s eyes lit up when she spoke of each member of her family, so beautiful! My deepest condolences to the Corey family and to Michele’s Michigan’s Children family.

I’m so sorry to hear that my best buddy, Michele, from my early childhood in Lansing, has passed away. Recently, I discovered letters and a postcard from her written back in 1975. My father, Tim, who sadly passed away from cancer in 2018, loved Michele, and he saved her letters with other momentos from my childhood. I read the letters, and I thought to myself that I really should get a hold of Michele. It had been 40 years since I saw her last, but she and I had at least exchanged a few emails over those years. I thought she might get a chuckle over these old letters that I had just found. I entered her name on the internet, only to discover her obituary, and that I had missed her memorial by just 11 days. I would have come to Lansing, had I known! I live in Dryden, Michigan currently. It was just a coincidence that I was going through several envelopes with stuff that my father saved for me. It was almost like my father was directing me from beyond, to seek out my good friend. Had he not saved those precious letters, I might have forgotten my past. Michele and I were best friends at Verlinden Elementary School in Lansing, Michigan, across from the former Fisher Body Plant. I used to walk by her house on the way to school each morning to pick her up, because she lived so close to Verlinden. I remember spending long, wonderful, carefree days playing 4 square and jump rope with her, and the two of us running freely through the giant, grassy field between our school and Fisher Body. We had many friends in our group, Sarah Giddings, Bruce Bolthouse, and John Gotts, just to name a few. Michele was good friends with my younger sister, Sarah, too. I was pleased to read that she had a daughter named Sarah. I remember her parents, and her brother, Mike. They were very kind to me. Michele had merry, bright blue eyes like her mom, and she always wore her light, blonde hair short. She was much taller than me! I was sad when her family decided to move away from Lansing to Reed City. We wrote each other regularly for awhile, and then we lost touch. I’m not surprised by all of the wonderful comments from people who knew her. Her kindness and empathy were apparent from early on, so it makes sense that she worked as a champion for children. She was born in 1967, just like me. I really regret not reaching out to her sooner. For that, I am truly sorry.