Doris Staples

1922 - 2018

Staples, Doris 2/15/1922 - 8/28/2018 Chelsea, Michigan, Formerly of Detroit Doris Staples died peacefully Aug. 28, 2018 at the Chelsea Retirement Community (CRC). The only child of George and Lena Tremlin, Doris was born Feb. 15, 1922, in Pinconning, MI. Following the death of her father when she was 18 months old, Doris and her mother, a teacher, lived in Flint until Lena's death in 1938, when Doris moved to Millington, MI to live with her grandmother Julia Egle and aunt Florence Egle. As a teenager, Doris played piano and loved to dance. She dipped ice cream cones for 10 cents an hour at a local drug store and later, as part of America's World War II effort, worked at a factory in Frankenmuth during summer breaks. A graduate of Millington High School (1940) and Central Michigan College (1944), Doris taught second grade in the Saginaw Public Schools before marrying her classmate and World War II U.S. Army Air Force veteran John Staples in 1946. They moved to Detroit, where John worked as a police officer, and they raised their son John Jr. (Joanne Cwiklinski) of Clinton Township and daughter Mary Jo (Jeff ) Frank of Dexter. Doris was devoted to her family. An accomplished homemaker, seamstress, gardener and excellent cook, she canned tomatoes, chili relish, pickles and other produce she and John grew in their backyard garden, and baked dozens of colorful cookies each year for her children's school Christmas parties. Following John's death in 2002, Doris lived independently at CRC's Dancey House from 2003 until 2016, when she moved to Glazier Commons assisted living. At various times, she volunteered in the CRC's Heritage Museum and library and participated in domino and bingo games and exercise classes. An avid reader, she followed the Detroit Tigers and current events. In addition to her children and their spouses, she is survived by grandsons Chris Frank (Jennifer Richards) and Jason Frank (Lucia Baez Carrera), great-grandchildren Abby and Ben, niece Joann (Monty) Burns, nephew Robert (Linda) Petrie, and several great nieces and nephews. Her family would like to thank the CRC staff and Arbor Hospice for their compassionate care. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 14 in the Towsley Village All Seasons Chapel. Visitation time with family is at 10 a.m.