Waive A Briggs

Waive Arlene Pullen Briggs, 97, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, passed away peacefully at Brookdale West Eisenhower Memory Care on Thursday, September 15, 2022, surrounded by love. Waive was born on July 9, 1925, the youngest of 16 children, the daughter of Eugene Kaple Pullen and Alice Eliza Haynes Pullen. She outlived all of her siblings.

Waive lived in Ann Arbor her entire life, growing up during the Great Depression. She graduated from Ann Arbor High School in 1943, working for several businesses in the Ann Arbor area in secretarial and bookkeeping positions. On April 26, 1947, she married Robert L. Briggs (Bob), whom she knew through her youngest brother.

Waive and Bob created a warm and welcoming home on Second Street, where she was a homemaker and loving mother to their four children. She and Bob always made time for every visitor; friends and relatives dropped in often and were always offered a cup of coffee or a beer while visiting. Even after Bob passed away in 1997, she continued to live in the home she loved so much, leaving only when her dementia made it unsafe to live alone.

Throughout her life, from her earliest memories, Waive loved music and singing. In high school she was a member of the a cappella choir. In adulthood, she joined the Sweet Adelines chorus and again sang a cappella. Music was always playing in the background at home as she went about her day. As she aged, even with memory issues, music played a large part in her day-to-day life. She frequently played the piano at Brookdale and sang in self-accompaniment. She is remembered by many who knew her at Brookdale as the person who could brighten their day with a song, laughter, and a ready smile.

Along with music, Waive loved collecting antiques, working crossword puzzles, reading, playing card games and Scrabble, engaging in crewel embroidery and decoupage craftwork, and in later life she enjoyed adult coloring.

Waive began studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1966 and was a faithful member of the local congregation throughout her life. During conversations with non-Witness friends or relatives she always made sure they knew she was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Waive leaves a void in the lives of those who knew and loved her. She is survived by her daughter Rhonda Lou (Gerald) Krumm, son Robert Lewis II (Lori) Briggs and daughter Rita Leslie Briggs (Alvin Lake); granddaughters Kelly (Mike) Doe, Lynne (Kellie) Powdhar, Rachel Rolston, Katie Briggs, Rose Rolston and Jordann Krumm; grandsons Stewart Hicks (Allison Newmeyer), Nathan (Rachel) Krumm and Robert Briggs III; great-grandsons Corey, Kyle, Brandon and Logan; great-granddaughters Kiandra, Karley, Ellie and Lucille; one sister-in-law Virginia (Briggs) Myers; and many nieces and nephews. Waive was preceded in death by her husband Robert Lewis Briggs; her daughter Rebecca Lee Briggs; her parents Alice and Eugene; her seven brothers: Lyndon, Harlow, Franklin, Woodrow, Duane, Donald, and Eugene Jr.; her eight sisters: Juanita, Myrtie, Frieda, Golda Mae, Lois, Alice Bernadine, Sophrona Elizabeth (Betty), and Nettie, and their spouses; and her beloved cat, Dusty Boy.

A celebration of Waive’s life will be held at Matthaei Botanical Gardens on October 30, 2022 at 2 PM, with refreshments and fellowship until 5 PM. The Botanical Gardens is located at 1800 N. Dixboro Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48105. A private family inurnment will place Waive alongside her beloved husband Bob and next to her daughter Becky in Washtenong Memorial Park.

Waive’s children would like to thank all who have expressed their heartfelt feelings about her life and passing. A special thank you to Alex, Andrea, and all the caregivers at Brookdale West Eisenhower, and Renee of Hospice of Lenawee, for their loving care of and delight in our mother.