Paul Michael DeRose

Paul Michael DeRose, age 94, died peacefully in his sleep on August 24, 2015 at the Oakridge Gardens Rehabilitation Center in Menasha, Wisconsin. He was born in Midland, Michigan on June 4, 1921, the third child of Peter and Virginia DeRose.

He graduated from Mason High School in 1939 where he was a three sport athlete, winning varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball. Like so many of his contemporaries, his college education at Michigan State College was interrupted by World War II.

Paul proudly served in the U.S. Army Air Forces (AAF) from 1943-1947. He was stationed in Blackpool, England during the war and in Germany after Germany’s surrender in May, 1945. He contracted tuberculosis while in Germany and spent several months in hospitals in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Lansing, Michigan recovering from the same disease that took his father’s life. He graduated from Michigan State College in 1948 with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and was hired as an elementary school principal in Walled Lake, Michigan. From there he moved to Lansing to be the branch manager of the John Hancock Life Insurance Company. In 1961, he received a Master’s Degree in Education from Michigan State University and accepted a position with the State of Michigan Department of Education. He worked for the State of Michigan until his retirement in 1987.

During his life Paul enjoyed playing golf and attending sporting events to watch his children and grandchildren compete in football, basketball, baseball, swimming, volleyball, lacrosse and soccer. He was proud of his Italian heritage and his family.

He was preceded in death by his father Peter DeRose, mother Virginia (Spagnuolo DeRose) Simone, wife Anne (Kontas) DeRose, sisters Theresa (DeRose) Spagnuolo, and Mary C. DeRose, step-father Vito Antonio (Tony) Simone, half-sister Betty Simone, and half-brother Vito Antonio (Junior) Simone, step-brother Mike Simone, and step-sister Rose (Simone) Larson.

He is survived by his children, Daniel (Ginger) DeRose of Dallas, TX, Marc (Dawn) DeRose of Winston-Salem, NC, Ellen “Lynne” (Brad) Henning of Appleton, WI, grandchildren Nicholas (Julie) DeRose, and Peter DeRose of Charlotte, NC, Elizabeth Henning, Katherine Henning and Thomas Henning of Appleton, WI, half-sister Agnes Jean (Simone) Hotchkiss of East Lansing, MI, half-brother Joe Simone of Boston, MA, and step-brother Ralph (Lorraine) Simone of Mason, MI.

The funeral mass will be held at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 955 Alton Rd., East Lansing, Michigan, on Saturday, August 29, at 11:00 AM. Rev. Dan Westermann will officiate. Interment will follow at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Lansing. A luncheon will follow interment. The family will receive friends and relatives at St. Thomas Aquinas church one hour prior to the funeral service.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church.

The family is being served by Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, East Chapel. On line condolences may be made at

www.greastlansing.com