James Lee Annis, Sr.

Mr. James Lee Annis, Sr. of Stanwood formerly of Kalamazoo Passed away January 3, 2015, at his home in Stanwood, MI, surrounded by his wife of 66 years, his 5 children, daughter-in-law, and 3 of his grandchildren. Mr. Annis was born in Detroit, MI, on February 6, 1926, the son of Lawrence W. and Genevieve M. (Larabell) Annis. He retired from Snap-On Tools at the age of 55. Following his retirement, Jim enrolled at K.V.C.C. and, at the age of 65, received his Associates degree while also working at the college full-time. Jim was a veteran of the U.S. Navy having served during WWII. Because he could not let his parents know where he was, he sent them a note saying, “Staying calm, under a palm, on _ _ _ _.” Jim was a member of St. Monica Catholic Church for 32 years. He was an avid golfer and loved computers. He was a member of the American Legion; he was an innovator and do-it-yourselfer, a fix-it kind of person. Genealogy was a major hobby of his, and he had traced his roots back to Enniskillen, Ireland, to the 1660’s. Jim was preceded in death by his brother, Lawrence, sister-in-law, Julia, and a daughter-in-law, Sompin. He is survived by his wife Alice Mary whom he married August 21, 1948, 5 children: Veronica & Bob Costie of Kalamazoo, Christine & Michael Anderson of Portage, James Jr. & Sue Annis of Richland, Doug Annis and Mary Jenkins, both of Kalamazoo, 9 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, and his sister: Rita Hicks of New Mexico, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Visitation will be Friday, January 9, 2015, from 6-8pm at the Redmond Funeral Home, 4100 S. Westnedge, 343-6156, where a Rosary will be recited at 7:30. Visitation will also be at St. Monica Catholic Church, 534 W. Kilgore Rd from 10-11 am on January 10, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11am, celebrated by Fr. Robert Consani, a long-time family friend.Burial will be in Mt. Ever-Rest Memorial Park. Since Jim was a member of St. Michael’s Parish, Remus, MI, for the past 12 years, a memorial service will be held there on February 6, 2015, in honor of the 89th anniversary of his birth. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Michael’s School, and may be sent to the Funeral Home. www.redmondfuneralhomes.net