Earl Verner Fosgard, age 94, passed away quietly in his sleep to go to his eternal home with our Lord on the evening of June 8, 2019. In the weeks prior, he had been in and out of the Detroit VA Hospital ICU, where he was alert and engaged until his last day, and where he enjoyed the presence of his wife, all of his children and many of his grandchildren.
Earl was a generous, kind, and friendly man. He deeply loved his family, and he loved people, always reaching out to talk to someone or to meet someone new. He liked to walk the beach in Florida just because “you always meet such interesting people.”
Earl was born in Breckenridge, Michigan in 1925, the youngest of four children of Danish immigrants, Jens and Minnie Fogsgaard. After graduating from Breckenridge High School, he joined the Navy during World War II and served on the submarine, the USS Haddo. Earl was very proud of his service to this country and it remained highly meaningful to him throughout his life. After returning from the war, he married Doris Strouse and they left the farm to settle in Detroit, where Earl found work as a pipefitter. They raised two sons and two daughters; he was always proud of each of them. Earl and Doris became active members of Faith Lutheran Church and there they built life-long friendships. When they retired, they traveled often and spent winters in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. They valued the many good friends they made there.
Special thanks to the amazing doctors and nurses at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Detroit, for their loving care and respect and constant support.
Earl is survived by his beloved wife, Doris (Strouse) Fosgard, and his four children, Connie Vander Schel, Eric Fosgard, Lisa (Lee) Purrenhage, and Scott (Debbie) Fosgard; by his 11 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren, by cousins and nephews. He will be greatly missed.
Visitation will be at Kaul’s Funeral Home, 29433 Jefferson, St. Clair Shores, MI 48081, from 4-8pm on Friday, June 14, 2019. The funeral service will be held at Christ Community Church, 25410 Kelly Road, Roseville, Michigan 48066, at 11:00am on Saturday, June 15, 2019. A light luncheon will be served afterwards at the church. There will also be a Military Honors service at the burial site in the Great Lakes Cemetery, 4200 Belford Road, Holly, Michigan 48442, on Tuesday, June 18, 2019 at 10:30am. Donations can be made to the Wounded Warrior Project.
