Eugene Wells Cornelius

With a grateful and overflowing heart, Eugene Wells Cornelius, age 96, of East Lansing passed away peacefully July 31, 2023 with his four daughters Julie, Anne, Kate, Marilyn, and other family by his side.

He is survived by daughters, Julie Cornelius, Anne Schrock (Tom), Kate Rasmussen (Scott), Marilyn Larive (Brett); grandchildren, Elizabeth Schrock-Yu (Carmen), David Schrock (Lauren), Ben Rasmussen (Paige), Jon Rasmussen (Alison), Sam Rasmussen (Ashley), Emma Larive, Zoe Larive, Georgia Larive; and eight great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife of 65 years, Marilyn; his parents, Bruce Sr. and L. Louise Cornelius; and his brother, Bruce Jr. (Mary Alice) Cornelius.

From his early childhood to just days before his death, Dad was joyfully building and creating, problem-solving, and investing in the lives of his family and so many others. His smile and personal connection would light up a room. All the experiences he was given throughout his life never stopped being moments of amazement to him. His work ethic and endless deeds of kindness & generosity were unparalleled, multi-generational in impact, and in full force just days before he died.

His home workshops and his countless woodworking creations over a lifetime were legendary, including window windmills he finished just days before his death. When his hands were busy, his heart overflowed and he was always thinking of others.

Our childhood was blissful and when Dad retired from Heart Truss & Engineering, he and our mother continued to invest fully and be present in the lives of their children, grandchildren and in the last ten years, great-grandchildren. From their constant presence at countless sports events, to big moments for each, to our frequent family gatherings, their love, teachings, and example have always been our strength and our core. In recent weeks, Dad was at the MSU golf course coaching his 6-year-old great-grandson on proper club grip techniques.

We are immensely grateful to our other family, the Willows East Lansing’s incredible staff and Dad’s fellow AL residents, for their steadfast friendship, compassion, love, and laughter. Through his nearly seven year Willows residency, his life and experiences in this chapter were rich and fulfilling. He experienced the Mid-Michigan Honor Flight trip to DC recognizing military veterans, had enthusiastic support from Willows staff to pursue his love of woodworking in his apartment workshop, worked endlessly each spring and summer in the Willows gardens, and forever brought smiles and laughter to everyone. He was an inspiration to us all on how to live this chapter with grace, courage, purpose, and joy every single day.

Dad was easy for us to love and he loved his family deeply.

In lieu of a memorial service, our family will be gathering privately in the near future to celebrate and remember our dad. If you so desire, we invite donations in his memory to The People’s Church of East Lansing at https://www.thepeopleschurch.com/ or Sparrow Hospital Foundation at https://www.sparrow.org/sparrow-community-health/sparrow-foundation

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.greastlansing.com for Eugene's family.