Leo B. Irish

IRISH, Leo Beryl, age 88 of Holly, Michigan, passed peacefully on June 12, 2018. Funeral service will be held on June 20, 2018 at 11:00 AM, with one hour of visitation prior to, at Hill Funeral Home, 11723 S. Saginaw St., Grand Blanc, Michigan with Pastor Philip Martin officiating. Burial will follow at Crestwood Memorial Gardens. Visitation will also be held Tuesday, June 19, 2018 from 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM at Hill Funeral Home. Leo was born on August 8, 1929 in Fenton, Michigan, the son of Wilbur Curtis and Lillian Mae (Laur) Irish. He was married to Marguerite Viola Elliott on November 14, 1953 in Holly, Michigan. Leo was a member of the First Baptist Church in Holly. Known to most as "Jiggs" after a corned beef and cabbage loving cartoon character. The youngest of twelve, Leo grew up in the Fenton area, had early success as a boxer, a lumberjack, a farmhand, a worker in local factories and businesses, and a thirty-six year career as a tool and die maker at General Motors in Flint. The last die with which he worked before retiring was for the catalytic converter. He enjoyed reading, crossword puzzles, hunting, fishing, bowling, building projects, and spending time with family and friends in the Holly area and on trips to Florida. Meeting Leo always involved a unique story or joke that followed you home. Survived by his children, Elaine M.(Jerel) Merical of Waukee, Iowa, Brian C. (Lisa) Irish and Craig L. Irish of Holly, and Sarah E.(John) Nicastri of Daphne, Alabama; four grandchildren: Katherine J. Merical, Kathryn K. Irish, Ashleigh E. Stone, Thomas A. Stone; two great-grandchildren: Peter J. and Vivian K. Levenson, and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, parents, one daughter, Bonnie M., seven brothers: George W., Peter L. WIlbur C., Almond M., William W., and infant twin boys; four sisters: Yneita , Betty, Doris C., and Beulah M.; two brothers in law, Lawson E. and Lawrence E. Elliott, one sister in law, Verna S. Elliott, and one niece: Colleen E.(Schuh) Soderlund. Those desiring may make memorial contributions to The Salvation Army or 1st Baptist Church of Holly. Arrangements under the direction of Hill Funeral Home, Grand Blanc, Michigan.