Willa Kenoyer

December 13, 1933 – March 28, 2020

Willa Kenoyer was born on December 13, 1933, in Tacoma, Washington, to William and Dorothy (Wenke) Kenoyer. Willa passed away in the company of loved ones on March 28, 2020, in Albany.

She was an alumna of the University of Washington; the University of California, Berkeley (Bachelor of Arts); and Michigan State University (Master of Arts, Journalism).

Willa worked extensively as a writer and editor: at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine; for her own newspapers, The Shiawassee County Journal and the White Cloud Eagle; for The Dominion newspaper in Wellington, New Zealand; and as a freelance journalist for the Ludington Michigan Daily News and the Muskegon Michigan Chronicle, among others. She also worked as Promotion Manager for WKAR-TV at Michigan State University.

Willa was involved in politics all of her life, on a local as well as a national level, including serving a term as national co-chair of the Citizens' Party and another as national co-chair of the Socialist Party USA, as well as a run for President on the Socialist Party ticket in 1988. "I learned my Socialism on my daddy's knee, way back in the 1930's," she said. Willa worked fiercely and joyfully for others as a member of Habitat for Humanity; in Chicago, Milwaukee and Nicaragua with Catholic Charities and AmeriCorps; and served on many local commissions and boards, including the Van Buren County Michigan Family Independence Agency Board.

She is survived by brother Lelan; children John, Judith and Jean; grandchildren Jacob, Michael, Sarah and Brynna; as well as many fond nieces, nephews and other family.

Willa was preceded in death by her son James in 1996, and her former husband, Gordon W. Gritter, in 2010.