Margaret Hamilton (Lilly) Ruemenapp

Margaret Hamilton Ruemenapp, 76, of Petoskey, Michigan passed away January 24, 2020 at Pineview Cottage of Harbor Springs.

Daughter of the late William and Margaret (McDade) Lilly, Margaret was born on March 5, 1943 in Uddingston, Scotland. She grew up in southern Michigan where she attended school at Grosse Pointe High, and Monteith/Wayne State University.

On November 6, 1982 she married Richard Ruemenapp in Petoskey.

Margaret Ruemenapp pioneered tennis in Northern Michigan with a base in Petoskey. She spearheaded public and racquet club programs, introducing a wave of young, inspired athletes to the sport and helping to provide adults with a wonderful pastime. Margaret taught herself to play tennis in her thirties, becoming a certified instructor and running racquet clubs in Metro Detroit before moving first to Traverse City to take on the job of head pro at the Grand Traverse Resort and then on to Petoskey, where her presence made a huge impact in the community. Margaret has guided an infinite number of young people in their athletic development as a teacher, a coach, an instructor, a friend, and an angel.

In 1990 she started the Harbor Springs High School girls’ tennis program, where she coached for 11 years and fundraised to build 6 courts. She was named MHSTeCA class C-D coach of the year in 1991. She then coached in Petoskey for 8 years, once again fundraising to add 6 additional courts to Petoskey High School, where a court is named in her honor. She was named MHSTeCA class C coach of the year for 2011. Margaret coached her two granddaughters during this time in addition to having taught many of her grandchildren to play her beloved sport.

She taught Petoskey Parks & Rec programs for 13 years, gave 10 years of service to NMTA as junior development officer and then president. She also coached and administered Junior Davis and Junior Wightman Cup for the district.

Among numerous other awards, she was inducted into the Petoskey High School Hall of Fame in 2017 and Michigan High School Athletic Hall of Fame 2013. She taught with kindness and ideals of inclusion for her entire career, invested in making sure that anyone had an opportunity to learn the sport who wanted to. Margaret was also an established player, reaching a 4.0 level in her later years.

Her children Elizabeth, Jennifer, Tina, and Andrew also played college-level tennis, something that surely gave her a great sense of pleasure and pride.

Margaret enjoyed sewing, quilting, and needlepoint and could also play the piano very well.

Margaret was a member of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Bridge Club, Beyond the Scoreboard, and Zonta, winning the Athena Award in 2003.

Surviving Margaret are her children: Teresa Baldwin of Eaton Rapids, Elizabeth (Armin) Doerr of Germany, Rick (Kate) Ruemenapp of Hudsonville, John Ruemenapp (Laura Arnold) of Marshall, Tina Blackman of Petoskey, and Andrew (Christie) Ruemenapp of Grand Rapids. Margaret is also survived by 16 grandchildren: Margaret, Adam, Ian, Gabby, Julian, Alexander, Sabrina, Dylan, Isabel, Jacob, Jordan, Aaron, Joey, Emma, Miles, and Marlo; her two great-grandchildren: Piper, and Amara; and her sister-in-law Kathy Partin.

Margaret is preceded in death by her husband Richard Ruemenapp; her daughter Jennifer Jensen; and her son-in-law Jeff Baldwin.

Those wishing to make a charitable donation in Margaret's memory are suggested by family to do so to the Women's Resource Center.

A visitation for Margaret will be held on Monday January 27, 2020 at Stone Funeral Home from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. A funeral mass officiated by Father Dennis Stilwell will be Tuesday January 28, 2020 at 10:30 AM with a visitation starting at 9:30 AM.

Arrangements are in the care of Stone Funeral Home, Inc.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Margaret Hamilton (Lilly) Ruemenapp, please visit our floral store.