Dolores "Dee" Mary Lyons

Dee was born in Fostoria, Ohio, to Lena and Elmer Goffinet. She was the fourth of six children by her mother Lena. After graduating from high school in Reading, Michigan, Dee went on to work for a local attorney in Hillsdale, Michigan where she met her husband, Leone (Rex) Lyons.

Dee and Rex remained in Hillsdale to raise their family of three daughters. During that time, she worked as a labor union secretary and began college at the age of 30, graduating cum laude in 1969. She received her M.A. in Labor and Industrial Relations from Michigan State University in 1972. Dee also served as leader for her daughters’ Camp Fire Girls troops, Democratic Party officer, liaison to Young Dems at the Hillsdale College campus, was elected chairperson of the Hillsdale County Human Relations Committee, was an officer at her church, and member of the Beth Moser Mental Health Clinic advisory board. Dee recently reminisced about special family picnics while boating at Baw Beese Lake in Hillsdale.

Moving to the Lansing, Michigan area in 1973, Dee went on to work as a Staff Representative for the Michigan AFL-CIO. This was followed by a year and a half as staff assistant for the speaker pro tempore of the House of Representatives. Dee also served as a Program Specialist teaching in the Union Minorities/Women Leadership Training Project and Labor Education Service at Oakland University. In 1979, Dee was sent by the State Department for a two-week exchange visit to Germany, Brussels and Paris with other labor leaders and educators.

Dee was active in politics until her later years holding offices from precinct delegate to state executive board and was a delegate to the 1972 Democratic convention in Miami. And while her politics leaned heavily towards the Democratic party, she was appointed by Governor William Milliken to the Michigan Public Health Statutes Revision Project in 1974.

After retiring, Dee remained active with her own business, The Right Word, drawing on her years of writing speeches, legislation, reports, grant applications, proposals, policy resolutions, etc., to help people with writing their resumes, desktop publishing, and editing services. Retirement also provided time to travel. Dee went on many cruises and had a once in a lifetime extended trip to Ecuador.

Throughout her life, she loved playing games with family and was full of exuberant joy on those occasions. Favorite times were overnights with her grandchildren and especially trips to the Potter Park Zoo. Dee loved gardening, knitting and sewing. Sewing was not just a hobby, but a calling to create unique things for herself and her family.

Dee is survived by her daughters Cindy Lyons Miller (Michael) of Traverse City, MI and Jennifer Anne Mesic, of Trenton, MI; her half-brothers Rhoe Apt and Bud Apt; grandchildren Calen Gibbs, Lindsey Lowe, Stephanie Collier, Garrett Mesic, Warren Mesic and Christopher Rzeznik; great-grandchildren Michael Lowe, Jacob Lowe, Carter Collier and Ethan Collier. She is predeceased by her husband Leone (Rex) Lyons; daughter Joy Rzeznik; her parents Lena Apt and Elmer Goffinet; and her siblings Rena Trautman, Matthew Goffinet and Norman Goffinet.

The family will hold a private memorial service in Dee’s honor.