LeeAnne VanZile Obituary
An open house celebration of LeeAnne's Life will be held on August 4, 2024 from 1pm – 4pm at Lori's home in Kalamazoo. Please email an RSVP to Lori @ [email protected]. In lieu of flowers, the family wishes donations to go the Otsego High School Athletic Boosters or to Alamo Little League via the funeral home.
LeeAnne VanZile, age 83, passed away peacefully at Alamo Cove in Kalamazoo, MI on May 21, 2024. She was born in Kalamazoo, MI on July 9, 1940, the daughter of the late George Charles Relaford and Edna Irene (Wells) Relaford. She married her high school sweetheart, Patrick Lee VanZile, on March 19, 1960. Patrick passed away on July 8, 2018. LeeAnne worked for Orkin Pest Control for over 25 years at the time of her retirement. LeeAnne loved her family deeply and especially her 9 grandchildren, which she was often heard saying "being a grandparent is the best, if I had known it would be this much fun, I would have had them first". LeeAnne and Patrick were well known in their community, Alamo and Otsego, for their work as volunteers to help athletes. LeeAnne and Patrick became icons at all Otsego High School home football games running the 'chain gang' for over 20 years. They were also a big factor in getting the fields for Alamo Little League ready for each season and helped build the original concession stand at the fields. LeeAnne loved to crochet – making a blanket for each of her grandchildren that fit their likes and personality and in later years made small lap blankets for the local VA and nursing home in her area. She also loved word searches and coloring. Patrick and LeeAnne enjoyed many years of fishing together and attending many Bass Master Tournaments.
LeeAnne was an only child and was preceded in death by both parents, her beloved aunt, Anna B. Baker, and her son in-law, Steven Keene. LeeAnne is survived by her four children – Lori (Mike) Vigen of Kalamazoo, Candy (Jerry Kingsley) Keene of Chelsea MI, Rick (Karen) VanZile of Dayton OH, Karl (Liz) VanZile of Charleston, SC. Her grandchildren are Tom (Alex) Vigen, AJ (Whitney) Vigen, Samantha Keene, Lisa (Joe) Hewitt, Kaitlyn (Josh) Hatfield, Connor VanZile, Karli VanZile, JT VanZile and Jenna VanZile. Her great grandchildren are Mackenize and Madelyn Vigen, Tessa and Maddi Hatfield, Hannah Vigen and Owen Hewitt.
