Richard Marshall Coolidge

Richard Marshall Coolidge
Of Eaton Rapids, MI passed away on Monday, June 1, 2020 at the age of 82. Rick was born on January 19, 1938 in Lansing, MI the son of Marshall and Florence (Meyer) Coolidge. He was raised in Holt where he went to school and graduated class of 1955. After high school he went to work for General Motors where he did a work co-op program and received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from GMI, now known as Kettering University in Flint. He retired from General Motors in 1991. One of his proudest achievements was a patent for his work on The Extractor Roll Drive, used throughout General Motors. Rick was a past member of St. Peter's Catholic Church and a current member of St. James Catholic Church where he served as a member of the Knights of Columbus. He had a strong faith and encouraged others with his devotion to the Church. He was also a past member of the Elks Lodge. He took pride in having built a farm tending to horses, cows, goats, pigs, chickens and rabbits. He was an avid watcher of NASCAR, baseball, and football, especially enjoying the Detroit Tigers, Lions, and MSU. Rick also enjoyed spending time fishing, hunting (especially the wildlife in his backyard), and had fond memories of time spent at Higgins and Bailey Lake. He enjoyed cooking, eating, and sharing meals with his family and was known for his "Dick's Famous Macaroni and Cheese" and bean soup recipes. In recent years, he enjoyed feeding and watching birds with his wife. He was a devoted family man who cherished his grandchildren and would seldom miss a sporting event, dance recital or special event they were involved with. Rick will be deeply missed by all who love and remember him.
Surviving are his wife, Doris Coolidge; children, Joan Coolidge, Laura (David) Barrett, Michael (Mary Ann) Coolidge, Steve (Susan) Coolidge, Laurie (Mike) Roman, Amy (Max) Riley, Ken (Lisa) McCaleb, Robert (Lindi) McCaleb; 18 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren; sister, Sandra (Robert) Pfaffenburger; brother, Tom (Sally) Coolidge; sister-in-law, Beverly Coolidge and numerous nieces and nephews.
Rick is preceded in death by his parents, brother, Robert Coolidge and niece, Layne Pfaffenburger.
A memorial mass will be held at St. James Catholic Church in Mason on August 22, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. with visitation starting at 10:00. For those desiring, memorial contributions may be made to St. James Catholic Church. To share memories or condolences please visit www.SkinnerFuneralHomes.com