Obituary for Willard L. "Will" Reading
Reading, Willard L. “Will”
Saginaw, Michigan
Our beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather and uncle, Willard L. “Will” Reading passed away peacefully on April 23 at the age of 97, surrounded by his family. A lifelong Michigan resident, the son of the late Leon and Olive (Boardman) Reading, Will was born December 3, 1925 in Pontiac, MI. Will attended school (K-12) in Rochester, Michigan. He served in the U.S Army in the South Pacific during WWII. Upon his return, he married Connie Shueller in 1946 and she preceded him in death on October 30, 2019.
In 1949, Will graduated from Michigan State University with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering. Will was employed as an engineer in the City of Saginaw Engineering Division and was a Registered Engineer in the State of Michigan. From 1951-1959, he served as chief inspector for the Inspection Division for the City of Saginaw. In 1959, Will became Director of Physical Plant at Delta College, responsible for planning, new construction, plant operation, maintenance, grounds and custodial until his retirement in 1986.
As an active member of St. Stephen Catholic Church, Will was involved in many aspects of parish life and was instrumental with the negotiations with the architect and contractor during construction of the St. Stephen Catholic Church.
Will was an avid golfer and was a member of the Germania Town & Country Club where he also served as President. He was a big fan of college basketball, especially his beloved Spartans. He and Connie loved to travel around the world by car, plane, and cruise ships. Their trips included adventures to Alaska, England, and several European regions in addition to their many trips to visit their children. They also enjoyed family time at Higgins and Eight Point Lake. He loved fishing, hunting and bowling, and played in numerous bridge leagues with Connie. His annual fishing trips with friends to northern Canada over 25 years were a favorite memory of his. Will was also an avid reader.
He enjoyed many hours at his workbench. Anything he found broken he took as a challenge to fix. With a gift for wood working, Will created dozens of carvings. He built chairs, tables, rocking horses, stools, chests of drawers, doll houses and wine racks. They are all loved by his family and are still being used and enjoyed by the great-grandkids.
Will was proud of his service as a WWII veteran, and was humbled by the invitation to travel with Cathy and Bill to Washington DC in 2019 joining other veterans on the Blue Ridge Honor Flight.
Will and Connie had countless friends who they enjoyed socializing with. In his later years, Will looked forward to his Wednesday evenings with his Saginaw friends, which often included dinner at Spencer’s Route 46. This last year, Will lived at Anthology Assisted Living in Farmington Hills to be closer to Craig and Mary. Will was respected by all who knew him, and was appreciated for his strength of character, humor and wit. He will be deeply missed by family and friends but never forgotten.
Left to cherish his memories are two sons and three daughters, James and Suzanne Reading, Indianapolis IN, Craig and Mary Reading of Farmington Hills MI, Cindy and Jim Bass of Thousand Oaks, CA, Cathy and Bill Early of Asheville, NC and Becky and Mike Mascolo of Morristown, NJ. Together they have raised 19 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren.
Honoring Mr. Reading’s wishes, cremation has taken place. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 10, 2023 at St. Dominic Parish-St. Stephen Catholic Church, 1310 Malzahn St. Saginaw, MI 48602. Celebrating will be Rev. Fr. Steven Gavit. Immediately following Mass, family and friends will travel in procession to St. Andrew Cemetery for Rite of Committal Prayers and Inurnment. Visitation will take place at The Snow Funeral Home, 3775 N. Center Rd. Saginaw, MI 48603, on Friday, June 9, 2023 from 2:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. and at church on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until the time of Mass. A Parish Vigil Service will be performed at 6:00 p.m. Friday evening at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers or memorial contributions, please honor Will’s memory with an act of kindness. Arrangements have been entrusted to The Snow Funeral Home, www.snowfuneralhome.net
Saginaw, Michigan
Our beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather and uncle, Willard L. “Will” Reading passed away peacefully on April 23 at the age of 97, surrounded by his family. A lifelong Michigan resident, the son of the late Leon and Olive (Boardman) Reading, Will was born December 3, 1925 in Pontiac, MI. Will attended school (K-12) in Rochester, Michigan. He served in the U.S Army in the South Pacific during WWII. Upon his return, he married Connie Shueller in 1946 and she preceded him in death on October 30, 2019.
In 1949, Will graduated from Michigan State University with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering. Will was employed as an engineer in the City of Saginaw Engineering Division and was a Registered Engineer in the State of Michigan. From 1951-1959, he served as chief inspector for the Inspection Division for the City of Saginaw. In 1959, Will became Director of Physical Plant at Delta College, responsible for planning, new construction, plant operation, maintenance, grounds and custodial until his retirement in 1986.
As an active member of St. Stephen Catholic Church, Will was involved in many aspects of parish life and was instrumental with the negotiations with the architect and contractor during construction of the St. Stephen Catholic Church.
Will was an avid golfer and was a member of the Germania Town & Country Club where he also served as President. He was a big fan of college basketball, especially his beloved Spartans. He and Connie loved to travel around the world by car, plane, and cruise ships. Their trips included adventures to Alaska, England, and several European regions in addition to their many trips to visit their children. They also enjoyed family time at Higgins and Eight Point Lake. He loved fishing, hunting and bowling, and played in numerous bridge leagues with Connie. His annual fishing trips with friends to northern Canada over 25 years were a favorite memory of his. Will was also an avid reader.
He enjoyed many hours at his workbench. Anything he found broken he took as a challenge to fix. With a gift for wood working, Will created dozens of carvings. He built chairs, tables, rocking horses, stools, chests of drawers, doll houses and wine racks. They are all loved by his family and are still being used and enjoyed by the great-grandkids.
Will was proud of his service as a WWII veteran, and was humbled by the invitation to travel with Cathy and Bill to Washington DC in 2019 joining other veterans on the Blue Ridge Honor Flight.
Will and Connie had countless friends who they enjoyed socializing with. In his later years, Will looked forward to his Wednesday evenings with his Saginaw friends, which often included dinner at Spencer’s Route 46. This last year, Will lived at Anthology Assisted Living in Farmington Hills to be closer to Craig and Mary. Will was respected by all who knew him, and was appreciated for his strength of character, humor and wit. He will be deeply missed by family and friends but never forgotten.
Left to cherish his memories are two sons and three daughters, James and Suzanne Reading, Indianapolis IN, Craig and Mary Reading of Farmington Hills MI, Cindy and Jim Bass of Thousand Oaks, CA, Cathy and Bill Early of Asheville, NC and Becky and Mike Mascolo of Morristown, NJ. Together they have raised 19 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren.
Honoring Mr. Reading’s wishes, cremation has taken place. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 10, 2023 at St. Dominic Parish-St. Stephen Catholic Church, 1310 Malzahn St. Saginaw, MI 48602. Celebrating will be Rev. Fr. Steven Gavit. Immediately following Mass, family and friends will travel in procession to St. Andrew Cemetery for Rite of Committal Prayers and Inurnment. Visitation will take place at The Snow Funeral Home, 3775 N. Center Rd. Saginaw, MI 48603, on Friday, June 9, 2023 from 2:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. and at church on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until the time of Mass. A Parish Vigil Service will be performed at 6:00 p.m. Friday evening at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers or memorial contributions, please honor Will’s memory with an act of kindness. Arrangements have been entrusted to The Snow Funeral Home, www.snowfuneralhome.net