Ann F. Palentyn

PALENTYN, ANN FRANCES– age 70, of Flint, Michigan, passed away peacefully on August 21, 2025, surrounded by her family. 

She was born October 6, 1954, in Flint, the daughter of James and Martha Huffman.

Funeral service will be held at 11am Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at the Swartz Funeral Home, 1225 West Hill Road, Flint. Pastor Steve Wood officiating.

Visitation will be from 1-7pm Tuesday, August 26, 2025, and from 9am Wednesday till the time of service.

Ann grew up in a home filled with music. Her mother was a music teacher, and Ann herself played the cello as a child. She met the love of her life, Tom Palentyn, on the tennis courts as a teenager, and the two quickly fell in love. They married on her 18th birthday and went on to share a wonderful life together filled with travel, friendship, and laughter.

Ann earned her degree in education from the University of Michigan and began her teaching career in a Montessori school. After the birth of her daughter, Erica, she devoted much of her time to raising her family, later serving as a substitute teacher at her daughter’s elementary school.

Ann was active in her community, especially through the Mott Park neighborhood the St. Cecilia Society, and was the Commissioner of the 6th ward of Flint. She remained a passionate supporter of the arts throughout her life.

She was always laughing and carried a smile that lit up every room. Ann and Tom especially loved their yearly trips to Grand Bend, Ontario, a tradition they shared with their daughter and later with their son-in-law, David. She was also a voracious reader, rarely without a stack of books nearby. In her later years, Ann found her greatest joy in her grandson, Joel. She loved reading and coloring with him, creating crafts together, and proudly cheering him on at his sporting events.

Ann was preceded in death by her husband, Tom Palentyn; her parents, James and Martha Huffman; her father-in-law, Heinz Palentyn; and her sister-in-law, Deborah Palentyn.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Erica and David O’Toole; her beloved grandson, Joel O’Toole; her brother David (Karen) Huffman; her brother-in-law, Clay Palentyn; mother-in-law, Sybille Palentyn, and her nieces and nephews Eric (Bethany) Huffman, Nicole Goode, Fae Palentyn, and Alesha Palentyn.

She also leaves behind many extended family members and friends who will miss her dearly.