Vivian O. Feltz

Vivian was born in 1931 in Buffalo, NY. She lived most of her life in Colden, NY. She graduated from Springville-Griffith Institute High School in 1948 and through her church met and married Allen H. Feltz in 1950. Together, they had three daughters: Deborah, Rebecca, and Rachael. She worked for the New York Telephone Company (now Verizon) for 23 years and took an early retirement to help raise her grandchildren Tabitha and Tim Fox. Later she stepped out of retirement, to manage her daughter’s consignment shop “Rachael’s Attic Sales” for 5 years.

As a self-taught theologian, Vivian was passionate in her progressive study and practice of her spirituality and Christian based faith. She was an avid follower of the teachings of Meister Eckhart and writings of Matthew Fox, especially The Coming of the Cosmic Christ, Original Blessing, and A Spirituality Named Compassion. She was very active within her local Southtown communities as a Sunday school teacher, director, church elder, missionary, and sponsor; studied and taught “A Course in Miracles”; was a member of Redeemer Lutheran church and later of United Methodist Churchill Memorial; did Mission at Sacred Heart, volunteered as an ESL reader and at Hospice. She was also active within the WNY AA community.

Vivian’s other passions were theater, gardening, reading, and holiday decorating. She loved to decorate the store front at Rachael’s Attic Sales for all the holidays and seasons. She also loved Irish music and dancing. Later in life, she became a passionate and devoted fan of the Buffalo Bills and of Michigan State University sports. She completed one of her lifelong dreams by attending the Rose Bowl parade in Pasadena when MSU won the Rose Bowl championship. In 2014, she moved to East Lansing, MI to be with her oldest daughter, Deborah.

Vivian is the daughter of Elmer and Ida Owen, both deceased. She is survived by her daughters Dr. Deborah (Linda) Feltz and Rachael (Robert) Shagott; her grandchildren Tabitha Fox, Timothy Fox, Luke Feltz, Emma Shagott, Anna Shagott; and great grandchildren Rebecca Fox-Jerald, Anissa Strzalkowski, Brian Fox, Hannah Fox, and Jamey Fox. She fostered Evelyn Mettendorf and Nicole Fronczak. She is also survived by her sisters Irma Conner, Patrica Bove, Carol Pettengill and her special friend Harold Meldrum. She is preceded in death by her daughter Rebecca Feltz, husband Allen, brothers Nelson and Gordon Owen, sisters Eleanor Wangelin, Arlene Deck, brother Roger Harris and mother Alice (nee Rogers) Larson.

Memorial service will be held at Churchill Memorial United Methodist Church at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations can be made in memory of Vivian O. Feltz to Hospice of Lansing in Michigan (http://www.hospiceoflansing.org).

The family is being served by Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, East Chapel.

On line condolences may be made at

www.greastlansing.com