Michael Wesenberg

1943 - 2020

Wesenberg, Michael 7/29/1943 - 6/29/2020 Ann Arbor Michael Carl Wesenberg passed away peacefully at home on June 29th, 2020 at his home in Ann Arbor, due to complications from Parkinson's Disease. His parents Carl and Stephanie (Monk) Wesenberg preceded him in death. He is survived by his sister Barbara (Wesenberg) Petrie of Oakland CA, his wife of 38 years Ina Wesenberg, his stepchildren Benjamin (Iuliana) Keyes & Francine (Jason) Pellerin and four grandchildren: Lena, Izzy, Nora & Vlad. Michael was known to many as a passionate collector and promoter of art, particularly art made by those on the margins. He loved Tramp Art, hand drawn maps, books, quilts, sculpture and all types of hand carved items. The provenance of each item was always recorded in his hand. Over the years, he and Ina visited many states and museums and attended many antique shows. He collected many unique items and formed friendships with talented people during these trips. He rarely sold his items; only trading up for a more desirable piece. He provided Francine and Ben with art to display in their dorm rooms, apartments, that now hangs in their family homes. Michael was especially proud of his Folk Art collection, cyanotypes, pottery, paintings, and items from his father's art collection. Michael's father worked as a furniture conservator at the Henry Ford Museum for 35 years and was a woodcarver. Michael was born on July 29th, 1943 in Ann Arbor and moved to Saline, MI that year. His family spent the WWII years as members of the Saline Valley Cooperative Farm. This assembly of families was highlighted in a recent book and documentary. Michael attended the release of the film and the publication of the book. He had memories of his time at the farm and was proud of his parents' decision to spend wartime in that endeavor. The Wesenberg family moved back to Ann Arbor in 1948. Michael and his sister grew up on S. Ashley Street downtown, down the block from The Fleetwood Diner and right across from "The Klein's Lot". He attended Bach School, Slauson Junior High, and graduated Ann Arbor High School in 1962. He earned a bachelor's degree in art from EMU, majoring in sculpture, with a certification in Art Education. He received his Masters Degree in Guidance and Counseling in 1968, also from EMU. Michael taught art for ten years at East Middle School in Ypsilanti, MI. Teaching overwhelmed Michael; he worked hard and had wonderful coworkers and administrators, but the constant changes in funding, class size and curriculum wore him out. He left teaching but kept in touch with many of his former students and still receives cards and letters from them. He worked for Adrian Cleypool and Ascott Corp screen printing shirts as well as in their sales department. For three years Michael worked at the Ypsilanti State Hospital. He also enjoyed working for a time writing abstracts for newspaper articles for University Microfilms. He loved bookstores. That interest led him to a career as a retail bookseller, first at The West Side Book Shop and in the early '80s at the then-newly opened Afterwords Books on Main Street. Working at Afterwords for more than 20 years until its closing in 2006, Michael made many lifelong friends and was a collector of stories from patrons and coworkers alike. In retirement Michael volunteered at U of M Hospital's Cancer Center. He also volunteered in the Graphics Division at the University of Michigan Clements Library for many years. Michael also participated as a tutor to several foreign grad students in an adult ESL program. Michael and Ina's summers were filled with road trips, often with the kids. They went antiquing in Maine, to the Stratford, Ontario Shakespeare Festival, and visited Martha's Vineyard, along with many other family trips. They attended many minor league baseball games, where Michael would always figure out where the scouts were sitting. He would chat them up about the prospects on the field. He had stacks of statistics and followed the Tigers triple-A minor league team, the Toledo Mud Hens. Michael always worked during the Art Fair. He enjoyed biking around Ann Arbor and relaxing at home with his two cats. Michael had many hobbies and interests, both quirky and mundane, and loved to learn new things. He enjoyed a variety of non-fiction reading and art house films; he never missed the Ann Arbor Film Festival. He loved genealogy, opera, U of M and Red Wings Hockey and especially baseball. Michael loved to cook and loved to eat. He was always up for trying a new restaurant, and he particularly loved Pacific Rim. He and Ina enjoyed cooking for each other and for friends. Many Octobers, they created homemade Worcestershire sauce from a historic cookbook, the recipe of course unearthed by Michael. He loved cooking and made, among other things, a great vindaloo fruit curry, fried chicken and countless smoothies which were mystery concoctions but a daily routine for many years. In the last few years, Michael continued the process of cataloging his collection. He was very grateful for the help of his dear friend Kathryn Luchs, taking professional photographs of his items. These were organized to be displayed on a web site and eventually in a book. The family can share the details with anyone interested. Michael was a man, as someone once said, "of a wild heart" who had a devilish sense of humor and a quiet smile. He will be dearly missed and fondly remembered. Donations in his name can be made to the Ann Arbor Parkinson's Support Group, 3470 Brentwood Ct, Ann Arbor MI 48108 A private family service will be held at the Botsford Cemetery. A Memorial celebration of life will take place at a future date.