John Merle Mischel, age 95 of Williamsburg, went to be with the Lord on Sept. 12, 2018.

He was born on July 7, 1923, in Rockford, Illinois, to Edward and Florence Mischel. After high school, John enlisted in the Army Air Corps where he was trained as a radio operator/gunner and flew bombing missions during World War II. During his last mission his plane was shot down over Yugoslavia and after 5 days he was rescued by friendly local residents.

After the War, John attended the University of Detroit College, where he received his Bachelors of Arts degree in 1948. Upon graduation he worked for 30 years for Burroughs (Unisys Corporation) in Detroit, as a Senior Technical Editor and retired in 1987.

John married the love of his life, Rosemary T. Bette, on April 25, 1953, at St. Matthew's in Detroit and enjoyed 51 years of marriage to her. Together they devoted their lives to raising a beautiful family.

John was a quiet man with high principles. He taught by example and instilled the values of hard work, trustworthiness, and reverence to his sons.

As an accomplished clarinet player, he loved listening to Big Band and Jazz music. He faithfully jogged two miles every day and when he could no longer jog, he walked. John was an avid fan of the Detroit Lions and Tigers; he enjoyed fishing on Michigan's lakes and rivers, keeping up with the news and reading the daily newspapers, and following state and national politics. He loved cribbage, pinochle, euchre and other games and he always cherished good conversation and a glass of wine.

He was a man of great faith, a devout Roman Catholic his entire life. While raising his family, he was involved with St. Basil the Great Catholic Church in Eastpointe, Michigan. After retirement, he and his wife, Rosemary, settled in Marysville, Michigan, where he attended St. Christopher Catholic Church. Later in life he moved to Williamsburg, where he attended Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Elk Rapids, Michigan.

John is survived by his four sons, Edward (Patricia), John Michael (Renee'), William (Lynette) and Gregory (Mary Nessett) Mischel; five grandchildren, Gregory, Nicholas, Stephen, Lauren and Grace Mischel; and four great-grandchildren, Lillian, Nora, Stella and CeCe.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Rosemary T. Bette; his parents, Edward and Florence Mischel; his brother, Robert (Regina) Mischel and sister, Mercedes (Clifford) Higgins.

Mass from the Order of Christian Funerals was celebrated at 11 a.m., Friday, Sept. 14, 2018, at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Elk Rapids. A Memorial Mass was held at St. Basil the Great on Sept. 17, 2018, and was he was laid to rest at Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery in Southfield, Michigan. Please visit www.lifestorytc.com to sign the guestbook and share your thoughts and memories with the family.