My condolences to the family. What a wonderful human being! I will always treasure the times spent together and especially talking about U of M basketball. God Bless. Dave

I want to thank everyone who attended our father's memorial and wrote such wonderful memories in this guestbook. This has been a most difficult experience for our whole family. Love and best wishes to you all!
Deidre

March 6, 2010

To the family of Dr. Leo H. Doyle:

I deeply regret not being able to attend the Memorial Service for my brother, Jack. It is extremely difficult for me to try to find words which adequately describe my feelings in the loss of my most beloved brother.

In growing up I was in awe of his many attributes. His exceptional personality, character and many personal accomplishments were held in my highest esteem. Jack was not only my big brother but my idol and my hero in every respect.

Jack was the best man at my wedding and has been, by far, the best friend I ever had. Sue thought the world of him. We both recall several enjoyable times together with Jack, Gerry and their family. Our four children, Eileen, Ted, Patrick and Janice, have always said that he was their favorite uncle. 

For the past 50 plus years we have been separated by many miles. We have tried to keep in touch by telephone and email. Our personal visits have been limited. During these infrequent contacts Jack and I always had an occasion to laugh about a variety of subjects some of which might even have been of a serious nature. Jack had a limitless sense of humor and we often laughed until we cried!!

Jack was always a considerate, loving and thoughtful brother. We will miss him beyond belief. 

Love forever,

Bill

SECRET AGENT POPPY

When I was young I thought that my grandpa might be a secret agent working for the government. He would have laughed at this thought; and teased me for what he called, "my tendency to exaggerate" everything. I had no proof that he was a spy of course. But I came up with this theory to explain why he had so many different names.

The kids in our family called him Poppy; as did some of the adults. Other adults called him Dad. Nanny called him Poppa or Dooley, and sometimes combined them to make Poppa Dooley. Every once in awhile she called him Dad (which is very confusing to a kid).

The sign outside of his dental office read Leo H. Doyle D.D.S. But I rarely heard him called Leo. I wasn't sure what the D.D.S. meant (probably a spy thing I reasoned. Some kind of code). Some people called him Jack and he answered them with a smile. (Who the heck is Jack!? I'd think). Other people called him Dr. Doyle or Doc and he'd smile at them too. (He's a dentist, not a doctor, I'd think to myself. Or is he?).

When I found out that he was in the military it only bolstered my spy theory. While he didn't tell "war stories" about going overseas, he did tell his typically funny stories about being in the service. Later, when I'd tell friends that my grandpa served during WWII, they'd ask if he fought against the Germans or the Japanese. I'd smile and say, "Neither. He fought against plaque and gingivitis." I always figured he'd get a kick out of that joke.

He had a great life. Better than most. I don't have many regrets about the times I spent with him. I wish he'd been able to see what I'm going to be when I grow up. And I regret that he'll never meet my wife (though at my current pace I may never meet my own wife). I guess I'll just have to tell her about him.

I told Poppy that I loved him. But I don't think that I thanked him enough. I should have thanked him for whatever part his genes played in my height and athletic ability. I should have thanked him for my sense of humor and ability to appreciate and tell a good story. I should have thanked him for a thick head of hair, the love of a good steak and a passion for sports. And mostly I should have thanked him for showing me that nice guys can finish first, and more importantly, how to be a nice guy.

So thank you Poppy. I'll miss you.
Love, BC

My thoughts and prayers are with all of you. I enjoyed my times with Uncle Jack especially when he came and watched tournaments. Seeing this picture with the "Doyle smile" and "sparkle in the eyes" brings back fond memories.

So sorry to hear of the passing of our favorite dentist. He took good care of us for 50-plus years and did it with a great chair-side personality. Our best wishes go out to the original "Rosie" and family.

Dear Poppy,
I think of all the summers by the pool, the weddings and graduations, birthdays and reunions we shared with you and how I always admired your passion for storytelling and your quick wit. No matter what the occasion, you kept us on our toes and in good spirits. We took in all the colorful details of your stories and we learned from you along the way--that every good joke or clever comment should be followed by a wink, that our time is too precious to sweat the small stuff, that families can be the center of surprising strength and great joy, and that every greeting and farewell deserves a strong hug and a sweet kiss. Missing you dearly and wishing you peace. You are always in our hearts.
Love, Steffi

Poppy,

We'll love you and miss you forever.

Love Natalie, Eric and Emily.

Poppy,

Thank you for the numerous special memories. You were a great role model and mentor.
Simply the best. I love you.

It's difficult to pick just one special memory of Poppy to write about because I have so many fond memories of him.  When I think of Poppy, I will remember all of the fun summer days spent at the cottage, playing rummy, fishing on the dock, watching him sail.  I will remember him as a family man and his deep love for Nanny.  Poppy and Nanny were a symbol of romance in my mind - how they danced so gracefully together, held hands while ice-skating, and were always affectionate with one another.  I will remember Poppy's bright blue eyes and his hearty laugh.  How he loved to tell a good joke or share a funny story.  How he always asked you to "show your teeth" when smiling for the camera.  Poppy, you were a wonderful grandfather and you will be forever loved and missed.

I'm proud to say Jack Doyle was a wonderful mentor and friend for over forty years. The memories of his attitude for life in general, love of family and friends, and his professional excellence are traits all who walk this earth should emulate and not be forgotten. May God bless his soul, and he rest in peace.

Deirdre and Family,
I'am deeply sorry of the passing of your dear Father. I remember the many times you have spoken of him, and for that I know he was a wonderful man. I feel like I knew him,as your words
brought me closer to him. Along with loving his beautiful wife of 66 years, he was fortunate to have family and friends that gave him so much joy. One day you will all be with him again, in Heaven. For now he is here with you in spirit. May God bless you my friend and your family.

Love and prayers,
Diana Bates

Our family is so sorry to hear the news about Uncle Jack.
He was without a doubt our favorite uncle and we loved him! We did not get to visit very often , because we lived so far away, but we did have a blast the few times we came to see him in Michigan as kids! We fondly remember the fun we had at his pool and it was a wild time with the 4 of us and all of his children!
My condolences to the many members of Uncle Jack's family.
Eileen ( niece, daughter of Jack's brother Bill)

Uncle Jack was an incredible person with the matchless ability to bring sunshine everytime he walked into a room. Oh, how he could make one laugh! I hope you all find comfort in the memories of his incredible personality and the laughter he brought to us all. He was at the top of my list for favorite relative. He shall live on in my memory forever.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you in the loss of your father. I haven't seen you in years Stephanie (Stevie) but I went to school with you and our daughter worked at Cooley and knew who you were. Our sympathies to you and your families.

Poppy was incredible! He never stopped learning, especially as he became so savvy on the computer over the years. I loved the cards he would make us with pictures he would scan. I loved the interest he took in everyone's family tree. There was so much to love about him! I was blessed to have known him over the past ten years. xoxo

Well it is March again, and a lot of us are thinking about college basketball. Poppy just missed this year's tournament, but he got to see his share. His Wolverines may be struggling but my team is back in the top 10 for the first time in 13 years and just clinched the conference championship. You can be sure I will be thinking of his wry smile and that twinkle in his eyes as they make their run. The world lost a special person on Sunday and all of us who were lucky enough to know him will miss him dearly.

Uncle Jack was the life of every Hoff/Doyle gathering. He brought us sunshine and happiness at every meeting. Our hearts go out to all his loved ones. Our warmest memories will be with all of you on Saturday. We're terribly sorry we can't be with you when you say good-bye.

My condolences to the entire family. Dr. Doyle was a wonderful human being who created a wonderful family. My brother Gary and I attended school with Deidre and Gary, but I only knew Dr. Doyle as my dentist as long as he was practicing within walking distance of St. Gerard School. After high school I went to work for an Irish Yooper, and I knew I recognized that twinkle and sense of humor from somewhere!

One "joke" Leo Doyle played on me wasn't funny at the time, but laughed about for years. I left school and walked down Willow with the expectation of getting a filling. Instead I found myself with two crowding baby teeth extracted and a mouthful of cotton and gauze. When I returned to school, my next class was with Mr. Tony Reis, who had a habit of calling on the quiet and shy (remember Deidre ?). Yup - he called on me! When I told Dr. Doyle about it my next visit, he broke out in spontaneous guffaw! And the stories he could make young children believe.. I'm sure it must be comforting that you had him in your lives for so many years and that he left you with so many wonderful memories. God Bless all of you.

I dont remember him,but George(my mothers father i remember,now they are together.may god bless you.

I feel very lucky to have known (Great)Uncle Jack. He put a smile on your face as soon as you saw him. My first memory of him was when I was about 7 or 8. The Doyle clan came to Ross St. for a picnic. I was in the front yard. He walked up to me and said, "Hi, Lara! I bet you don't know who I am..." I shook my head, no, and he responded in a Tony the Tiger voice..."I am your greaaaaaat uncle!" And, I thought, "Hey, this "old" guy is pretty funny..." He will be missed..

A sympathy card has been sent to the family of Dr. Leo Harry Doyle, D.D.S. c/o Tiffany Funeral Home funeral home.

I will always remember your jovial nature...your child-like innocence and wonder. You've taught me much and you are missed. Rest in peace.

We treasure all of the special times with Poppy and all he did for the family. He always brought sage advice, with levity, at every major juncture in my life so far. I will miss this perspective so much, and will just try to keep in my memory his wise words, his jovial smile, and his loving nature.

Our Poppy...You helped create so many wonderful memories in our lives and I will cherish them all. Your love will never been forgotten. I'll miss you and love you forever.

Poppy thank you for being such a wonderful grandpa. I cherish the memories of spending time with you. I will always remember your laughter and smile. You will always be in my heart.

I pray God holds your family in the palm of His hand, as He carries you through and gives you comfort during this difficult time.

Our sympathies to the Doyle family. Uncle Jack was always a favorite relative and we will miss him dearly. Rest in peace Uncle Jack...............you had a great life and made a lot of people better by coming in contact with them. We love you Aunt Geraldine ..............Dave & Jennifer Hoff

I have so many wonderful memories of Poppy; it?s hard to single one out. He was a great grandfather and always had time for us. I cherish the time spent with Nan & Pop when we were young--- trips to the cottage, out to lunch after our dental appointments, introducing us to cross country skiing and so much more! I loved that when email became a popular way of communication in the 90?s that Poppy and I wrote back and forth quite often. He was always very interested in what was going on in our lives and gave great advice. I loved hearing Poppy tell funny stories?especially when the story involved him being up to something! Sometimes he would be laughing so hard, trying to tell the story that he could barely get the words out and tears would be squirting from his eyes. I am happy and proud to say I have inherited that very trait! I love you Poppy and I will miss you forever.

Stephanie and Margie, I am holding you both in my heart. You and your families are in my thoughts and prayers.
CJ

When I think of our Poppy I think of his smile, his laughter and his loving kindness and warmth. I LOVED his sense of humor, bit of mischief and the twinkle in his eyes. His tales from his life were always entertaining and I especially enjoyed when he would be laughing so hard he could hardly speak and tears would be squirting from his eyes. Sometimes I could not understand what he was saying but I would crack up too because it was such fun to see him so amused by his stories. His laughter was contagious. Nan & Pop have given us so many life experiences and wonderful memories. Family gatherings at their house, hanging out around their backyard pool, trips to the cottage ? they always gave us so much love and attention and made things fun for us grandkids. And it was always a treat when Nan & Pop would make a surprise visit to our house after work with buckets of Kentucky Fried Chicken and we?d spend the evening together ? possibly all of us playing a board game at the dining table after dinner. We always had good laughs and great times.
Poppy, I sure miss hanging out with you and being able to snuggle up to you for a hug. Thank you for all of your love, wisdom, gentle guidance and your constant presence in our lives. Love you forever Poppy. 
xo
Lyssa

As I read these other messages I am just flooded with memories of all the great times spent with Nanny and Poppy. So many of them come from the cottage: fishing at the end of the dock, a precious few trips in the sailboat, playing cards at night, being told not to flush the toilet for just #1, taking a 30 second shower (if at all), building birdhouses, walking to the beach, and Poppy driving part of the way there with just his knees! He was always an entertainer. His laugh was infectious. As others have said, he couldn't get two sentences into a joke without crying from laughter. We never got to half of the punchlines but they were some of the funniest jokes and stories we'd ever heard. I find myself doing the same thing sometimes and I am always reminded of Poppy. I used to look forward to holidays just for the stories. His memory put all of ours to shame. He would tell me the names of his high school teammates in basketball and the names of players he played against in college. At his office he could tell you about every one of his colleagues that he graduated with at the school of Dentistry - I would listen in awe. Many years ago I was given a golf starter kit with some of his old clubs. I'm going to play a round with them for Poppy this summer. I cherish them more now and I will pass them on to my own sons when the time is right and tell them that their great grandpa used to play with these very clubs decades ago. I will miss you terribly Poppy but you will be forever remembered and forever loved!

His warmth, love and humor was always available to us. As just one grandchild among the many dear to him: Nanny, siblings, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, I feel an immense joy for having shared in the love of such a giving spirit. We miss you, Poppy.

OBITUARY

Leo Doyle

19 June, 1921 – 28 February, 2010

Gorsline Runciman Tiffany Chapel

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