Chester "Chet" Janssens

Chester “Chet” Janssens of Boyne City passed away in hospice care in Petoskey, Michigan, on Wednesday, May 8, after a very short illness. He and his wife Cynthia lived on Big Bear Lake in the Lewiston area for nearly 20 years before moving to Boyne City four years ago to be nearer his brother Carl Janssens and the “big water.”

Chet was the president of Crusader Marine Engines in Sterling Heights until his retirement. A life-long boater, he was active in the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club and the Clinton River Boat Club while living downstate and joined both the Boyne City Yacht Club and the Sommerset Pointe Yacht Club after moving to this area. His main interests continued to be boating, travel and golf.

Janssens spent six years serving on the board of directors of the Munson Otsego Memorial Hospital and was a member of the Boyne City post of the American Legion.

He traveled extensively with his wife Cynthia, the former travel editor of The Detroit News, visiting Antarctica, the Galapagos Islands, Africa, South America, Alaska, Russia, Europe, Japan and New Zealand. He never lost his love for “schlepping bags” for Cindy.

He was born in Detroit on June 1, 1932, to Carlo and Mildred Reeser Janssens. He attended Cass Technical High School and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict. He returned to the Detroit area and attended seven years of night school at the then Lawrence Institute of Technology in Southfield earning a degree in engineering.

He is survived by spouse Cynthia Boal Janssens, four children – Paula Janssens Palazzolo, Glen Janssens, Jennifer Boal Colucci and Amy Boal – and nine grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother Carl Janssens, owner of Mayfair Plastics in Gaylord, and a sister, Shirley Borchardt of Macomb, Mi. His parents and first wife Glenda Janssens pre-deceased him.

There will be services for Chet on Saturday, May 25, at 2 p.m. at the Trinity Missionary Church in Petoskey (600 N. Division St.) followed by a Celebration of Life at the historic Perry Hotel in Petoskey. Questions? Cynthia2248@msn.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Friends of the Boyne River  (boyneriver.org) and to the Hiland Cottage Hospice in Petoskey.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Chester "Chet" Janssens, please visit our floral store.