James Robert Alter, Sr.

For over 74 years, the family & friends of Jim were blessed to know him. Due to his humor & generosity, people of all ages liked being in his company. He would fix your furnace then sip some beers, all while filling your home with laughter. His years as Vice President of UWUA Local 254 spotlighted his unwavering moral compass & his desire to make sure his coworkers' contractual rights were upheld. Regardless of topic, advice from Jim always stemmed from his caring & unselfish personality.

During their 54.5 years together Jim & Gwen created a fun, fulfilling, & comfortable life. Whether it was because of owning horses or Harleys or any of their other adventures, they made many friends over the years. Either living in East Detroit or Richmond or Caseville or St. Clair Shores, their home was always open to those who wanted to stop by for a drink, good conversation, & lots of laughs. To all that know them, Jim & Gwen are the perfect example of love & commitment& that Friday the 13th is actually a day of good luck!

Jim & Gwen passed all of those traits, along with love of music & strong work ethics, down to their children. Lizabeth & Jimmy were grateful to have a dad & mom that sacrificed & worked so hard to provide a great life for them. Countless memories were made not only at the house on Frith, but also on trips to Caseville, Arizona, & Kentucky. In their own ways, Lizabeth & Jimmy will continue to follow in their Dad's footsteps.

Amelia, Hayden, Adeline, & Edwin definitely brought out the goofy side of their Grandpa. From prank hand buzzers to Barbies, this is where Jim shined. He loved to make them laugh. For the rest of their lives, they will think of their Grandpa when they enjoy Papa Waffles, cantaloupe with ice cream, & red licorice (for those long car trips).

There has always been a special, unbreakable bond between Jim & his siblings. Edee, Nancy, Jim, & George (& their spouses) have created a large & unique family. Every holiday & life celebration has been a reason to spend time together. No one could make Jim laugh as much as his siblings, especially when they shared tales of their youth.

Even in Jim's final days, the Parade of Love by his family & friends kept the home filled with love & laughter. Gwen, Lizabeth, & Jimmy are grateful for the care given by so many. Corrine has been a special Angel, devoting countless hours to Jim's care. She can take comfort knowing that Jim kept her meatball recipe a secret.

Here to mourn Jim's passing are: wife Gwendolyn Alter; daughter Lizabeth (Gary) VanHorn, son Jimmy (Lizzy) Alter, & "good" son Jeff Porter; grandchildren Amelia VanHorn, Hayden VanHorn, Adeline Alter, & Edwin Alter; siblings Edee Benedetti, Nancy (Ron) Johnson, & George (Marcia) Alter; in-laws Corrine Targowski, Doug Tennant, & Cliff (Susan) Targowski; nieces/nephews Nicky (Mo) Benedetti, Steve (Kim) Benedetti, Denni (Nick) Tengler, Cheryl (Larry) Shore, Christa (John) Karl, Mark (Bethany) Hamilton, Emily (Matt) Schuman, Paul Tennant, Tanner Targowski, Kayla Targowski, & Carter Targowski; life-long friends Rick (Sue) Winters & Richard (Maureen) Radcliffe; countless great-nieces/nephews, friends, & Consumer's Energy coworkers.

Waiting for Jim were: parents Robert & Frances Alter; brother Bobby Alter; in-laws Nick Benedetti, Ray & Amelia Targowski, Raymond Targowski, & Barb Tennant; close friends Lou Belmonte, Ed Benedetti, & Rob Coppins; aunts, uncles, & cousins.

The family thanks those who played a part in making Jim's life so wonderful. They are so grateful for the love & laughter provided by all. Reminiscent of the many Alterfests thrown by Jim & Gwen, there will be a private celebration of life planned for Jim.