Annette Luise (Fontana) Saylor

Annette Luise (Fontana) Saylor, 87, of Birmingham died on March 21, 2025. She was born on September 9, 1937 on the east side of Detroit to Louis Peter Fontana and Annette Marie Fontana, the oldest of five siblings. She went to St. Catherine of Siena's Academy on Seminole Street for twelve years and made many lifelong friends there and in her Pingree Park neighborhood. She attended St. Mary's College in South Bend, IN, majoring in English with a minor in French. A highlight of that time was her junior year abroad at the University of Friborg in Switzerland. At a 1960 wedding reception, she met her soon-to-be husband, John M. "Jack" Saylor. He proposed on Valentine's Day 1961 and they were married on September 16, 1961. Children followed soon after starting with their eldest son in 1962. They lived in Detroit for many years before settling in St. Thomas More Parish in Troy, MI to raise their five children. They were active members of the parish and made many friends in the neighborhood and the parish, especially with their duplicate bridge group. Jack and Annette were a fantastic and loving couple who instilled positive Catholic values and a strong work ethic in their family. Annette loved volunteering with the Art to the School Program through the Detroit Institute of Arts. She joined the workforce in the mid-80s and worked for many years at Mercy Health Services in Novi, MI in Human Resources and in Grant Writing. They loved playing bridge together, playing golf at Stonycroft Hills Club in Bloomfield Hills, travelling to the Caribbean with the Nomads Travel Group, winter trips to Arizona, and summers on Torch Lake in Bellaire, MI. Annette spent every summer with extended family at Torch Lake in the years following Jack's death and made many new friends through a Bellaire bridge group. She lived independently until her sudden death and inspired and entertained all that knew her with her intellect, her wit, and her passion for her family and her faith. She was predeceased by Jack and her daughter Julia Plumhoff (Eric), and is survived by John of Waltham, MA, Carrie Vaccariello (Nick) of Kirtland, OH, Joe (Melinda) of Rochester Hills, Roger (Dana) of Birmingham, ten grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Donations in her memory can be made to the Religious Sisters of Mercy in Alma, MI. Funeral Arrangements can be found at AJDesmond.com