Joel Robert Lichty

Joel Robert Lichty was born on August 25, 1951 in Flint, Michigan and died on October 25, 2021 in East Lansing. He was pre-deceased by his parents, Bill and Betty Lichty, and two brothers, Michael and Timothy. He is survived by his loving wife for 37 years, Diana Twede, brothers Jeffrey (Mary) and Christopher Lichty, sister Susan Love Woodworth (John); his “favorite” nieces and nephews Christina Walsh (Patrick), Brian Lichty (Melissa), Carrie Shrier (Rob), Ian Love, Fiona Love-Johnson (Brian), Timothy and Zachary Lichty, Alex and Paige Twede; and his beloved cat, Sylvie.

Joel was the third child of William Harvey Lichty and Betty Josephine Bonnell Lichty. Joel’s father was a professor at GMI, and when Joel was 8, the family moved to a country farmhouse, where Joel and his siblings (Jeff, Sue, Crit and Tim) learned about agriculture and the beautiful cycle of life. His mother became the art teacher at Byron High where Joel graduated as drum major in the marching band. At U of M he played saxophone in the 1970 Rose Bowl Parade and earned a BS and MS in Biology. He pursued a PhD at MSU in Resource Development. Most of his career was in the wine business; he owned the Veritas Wine Shop in East Lansing, taught MSU Evening College courses in wine appreciation, worked for Goodrich’s Shop-Rite and local wine distributors. Joel and Diana enjoyed bicycling, mushroom hunting and traveling, from Europe and England, to India and Egypt, to Japan and Thailand, sampling the regional foods and bringing back new tastes to Joel’s own delicious cuisine. Inspired by Keukenhof, he brightens our corner during the cold dark months from March to May with an extraordinary progression of bulbs, from the earliest tiny crocus to triumphant tulips.

There will be a memorial open-house on Sunday, November 7, 2021, at the Orchard Street Pumphouse, 368 Orchard Street in East Lansing, from 3:00-6:00 pm. Please join us to celebrate Joel’s life with a sample from his cellar! In lieu of flowers, two of Joel’s favorite charities are Amazon Conservation and the Greater Lansing Food Bank.