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Skip Warner Obituary
RODNEY -- Skip Warner, 79, of Rodney, passed away peacefully on Sept. 8, 2017. He was lovingly cared for at his home by his family until his passing.
He was born Wesley W. Warner on Sept. 14, 1937, in Grand Haven, the son of Leon and Leona (Wuis) Warner. He graduated from Grand Haven High School in 1955. He attended Michigan Tech and Ferris State College.
While attending Ferris, he met the love of his life, Barbara Hurdle. They were married Dec. 27, 1958, at St. Peter's Lutheran Church.
Skip worked various jobs before hiring on at Hydaker Wheatlake as a lineman, retiring as a general foreman in July 1999.
Skip was an avid hunter and fisherman. After retirement, he was able to enjoy several hunting trips and many days fishing at Pentwater on Lake Michigan. He had several close friends who shared in these activities.
He was a member of the Masons, Shriners, Big Rapids Eagles and the IBEW.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Barbara; two sons, Tim (Julie) Warner, of Mount Pleasant, and Jeff (Patti) Warner, of Rodney; three daughters, Jackie Warner, of Big Rapids, Rhonda (Randy) Olsson, of Rodney, and Shari (Darren) Blades, of Big Rapids; four grandchildren, Justin and Jessica Warner and Derek and Renee Blades; stepgranddaughters, Megan Olsson and Beth Olsson; and stepgreat-grandchildren, Mason Richards and Evan Graber. He also is survived by several brothers and sisters-in-law and many nieces and nephews.
Skip was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Ronald Warner; and in-laws, Ed and Lucille Hurdle.
The family would like to express special thanks to Karen Stites of Spectrum Health Hospice for her outstanding care.
Cremation has taken place and arrangements and care have been entrusted to the Mohnke Funeral Home in Big Rapids. A celebration of life will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 6, 2017, at the Big Rapids Eagles. Memorial contributions may be made to the Susan P. Wheatlake Regional Cancer Center, Shriners Hospital for Children and/or Spectrum Health Hospice.
Share a memory or express condolences at mohnkefuneralhome.com.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Skip Warner
2 Entries
Gene L. Warner
September 2, 2025
We lost touch over the years, I'm sorry to say, but as teenage boys, Skip and I had some good times together. At the time, he was everything that I wasn't ... tall, dark and handsome, very personable, with a quick and witty sense of humor, and singularly popular with the girls. Meanwhile, I was skinny, white (un-tanned) and ... well, cute maybe, but quiet and painfully awkward socially. Being an older cousin ... 3-years ... he was a mentor of sorts ... a sixteen/seventeen-year-old mentoring his little thirteen/fourteen-year-old cousin. Reminiscently, kind of a classically cute situation. But time marches on, and we drifted apart ... he went to college; I went to the Air Force. As we sadly offer our condolences to his family, I´m proud that I can look back on Skip as ... "My Favorite, Most Memorable Cousin".
September 17, 2017
To Barbara and family:
Our deepest condolence to your family,
Skip was a great friend and we will sure miss him as we had a great time fishing for lake trout on Lake Simcoe. We had a lot of laughs together with Steve and Ken.
We will miss him. He was one good man.
Paul & Beth Babcock
Leamington, Ontario, Canada
Showing 1 - 2 of 2 results
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Funeral services provided by:
Mohnke Janowicz Funeral Home128 S Warren Ave, Big Rapids, MI 49307-1844
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