Richard Trayser

Richard Walter Trayser, 88, of Mackinac Island, known as "Poppy" to his family, and "Mr. T” to employees, died Saturday, November 14, 2015 at his winter home in Cheboygan, Michigan.

He was born June 9, 1927, to Anthony Chester & Gladys (nee Green) Trayser in Madison, Wisconsin, one of four children, where he grew up and went to school right through to College at the University of Wisconsin.

He volunteered for service in 1945 at Great Lakes Naval Academy near the end of World War II, but did not see active duty in the War, though his older brother did.

He left after graduating College, in 1948, to work for his father on Mackinac Island. He followed his father, who was under Doctor's orders to semi-retire, to winters in Mexico, where he spent the next 10 of them, and met his wife, Guillermina Gomez Lopez, marrying on April 10, 1956 in Mexico City, Mexico. She worked as a nurse in the Military Hospital there.

They moved in the spring of 1956 to Mackinac Island, and had 3 children, Patricia Trayser Leeper, Rebecca Sue Trayser Dimas, and Anthony Mack Trayser, born 1957, 1959 & 1960. They spent winters on Mackinac Island until 1973. In 1972 his wife developed Cancer, and died in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, in 1983, where they spent winters and lived close to relatives, his sisters & family, and Aunt.

His daughter Patricia and son Anthony (Mack), worked for him in the business after they both finished College. Patty was joined by her husband Timothy Leeper there. The family businesses are Island shops.

Patricia having two children, Erik Thomas Ammerman, & Arial Lane Leeper. She is buried in St. Anne's Cemetery on Mackinac Island, dying in July of 2001, also of Cancer. Tim & Patty were both active members in the Catholic Church.

His daughter Rebecca Susan became a grade school bilingual teacher in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, passing away also in 2001 of Cancer, the Fratney Grade School Library she taught at, named in honor.

He is survived by son Anthony, his two grandchildren, Arial Leeper of Richmond, Virginian and Erik Ammerman of Mackinac Island, who also works in the family business, and by all his siblings, Shirley Robbins of Madison, Wisconsin, in the house he grew up in, Nancy Trechsel, of Rockford, Minnesota, outside of Minneapolis, and David Trayser of Columbus, Ohio.

Visitation was held on Wednesday, November 18, 2015, from 2:00-4pm & 6:00pm-8pm, at the Nordman-Christian Funeral Home in Cheboygan. Private family services were held on Thursday, November 19, 2015 with Father Jim Williams presiding, who was the priest for St. Anne's Catholic Church on Mackinac Island, who his daughter Patty adored, and who buried her as well, in 2001.  He gave a speech on the Transcendental movement, of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson among other thinkers of late 19th century America, which encapsulated Dad's spirit of beating to the tune of a different drum and belief in the simple life.

He is survived on his wife's side, by 4 sisters in law, the two older brothers having passed away, the other 4 sisters passed away of Breast Cancer, Luz Maria, in 2010 who cut his hair and cared for him, lived in Mackinaw City with his nephew Daniel Robbins, the others living in Mexico. Danny visited often, and helped his family and bridged all the families, to the end.

He spent his last several years, living with his son & daughter in law, Svetlana, at their house in Cheboygan, a home off the island, but his heart remained always on the Island He suffered from Parkinson's, an illness diagnosed after his two daughters died, in 2001, and which he finally succumbed to, a very difficult illness. . His caregiver was Rhonda Webb & Tara Brown her daughter, from Cheboygan.

He had many of his wife's children visit summers from Mexico, Jacquelin and Lilia, and their daughters Jaely, Alix & Alejandra. "Lily" his brother in law's daughter, came to be with him every summer for over 30 years on Mackinac Island, and spent most of the last two months of his life, with him and his family, in Cheboygan. She & he wept upon their last parting.

He will be cremated and return to his wife, at a family burial plot in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and some of his ashes will be scattered along the shores of the downtown on Mackinac Island, a place he made his entire life his home, and never wanted to leave.

He was a member of the Lion's Club, a supporter of the Mackinac Island Public Library, and a supporter of efforts at Historic Preservation on Mackinac Island, and creation of Historic Districts. Anyone who wants to honor him, should support the Public Library, the Island Schools, or Historic Preservation on Mackinac Island.

Online condolences may be made at www.stonefuneralhomeinc.com.  A tribute to his life at https://www.facebook.com/SaveOuriSland/videos/10153645529805734/?pnref=story

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