Billie Fay Bucinski

Billie Bucinski Obituary
Billie Fay Bucinski passed away peacefully on December 26, 2023, in Grand
Rapids, Michigan. She will be remembered for her big smile, hearty laugh, and
the sly twinkle in her eye that gave a hint to her personality. She lived a long life,
filled with many twists and turns, and through them all she held close to the
people and places that were dear to her, especially her children. To them she
wrote this special message: "I am very proud of you, you are always with me,
and my love for you is endless."
Billie Fay Bucinski (Kelly) was born on April 26,1932 in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Billie, along with her older sister Betty Jean Kelly, and her parents Ann and John
Kelly, eventually moved to Michigan. In 1939, Ann divorced John Kelly, and in
1945 she married Jesse Greene. Jesse became Billie and Betty's stepfather and
the four of them enjoyed 47 years together as a family. In Michigan, Billie trained
to become a nurse at the Clara Ford School of Nursing in Detroit. At the time she
was living in Algonac, and it was there that she met Robert Seaton (Bob). A
couple of years later they were married, and for over 20 years they were
together, raising their children, Michael, Lee, Jeffrey, and Carolyn. In that space
of time, they lived in St. Clair Shores, Farmington, and Linden.
The home they lived in the longest was in Farmington and it was there that Billie
developed some life-long friendships, in particular with Pat Thoresen, her dear
friend for many decades. With all four children in school, Billie started working at
the Board of Education where she honed the administrative skills that served her
well in all her future jobs. In 1971, Billie and Bob moved to Linden where they
enjoyed golf, swimming, and social activities at the local country club, Spring
Meadows, connecting them with many new friends. Billie worked at the Fenton
AMC/Jeep dealership. In 1974 Billie and Bob divorced, but Billie continued to live
in the Fenton/Linden area.
In 1980, Billie married Leo Ankofski. He was gregarious and entrepreneurial,
and Billie loved their time together. He and Billie developed a business model
and created 'Kelly Business Services' and happily worked together for several
years. Sadly, Leo died unexpectedly. Several years passed, and then Billie met
and later married Joe Bucinski in 1993. They lived for a while in South Lyon, and
then moved to Fenton where Billie and Joe became active parishioners at St.
John's Catholic Church. They loved living in Fenton, enjoying summer festivals in
the city park, walking their dog and feeding the deer who gathered outside their
back door. They were also big fans at their grandsons' football and basketball
games. But their favorite pastime was dinner at the Fenton Hotel, where they
became beloved regulars!
As we remember Billie, we remember that she loved her dogs, she loved
watching TV shows that made her laugh, she loved singing along to the
Supremes, she loved playing cards and ping pong. She took pride in her
appearance, doing her own personal manicures, shopping for new clothes for
each season, and always doing her hair and make-up before starting her day.
She loved knitting and crocheting, making hats, baby blankets, and even
Christmas stockings for her grandchildren. She also enjoyed gardening. Her
favorite flower was the Peace rose, a lovely warm yellow flower with hints of
pink.
Billie loved her adopted state of Michigan, never leaving it to live anywhere
else. She enjoyed traveling around Michigan, taking in the beauty of the lakes.
Trips to the Upper Peninsula to visit her sister Betty were always a favorite,
especially in the fall foliage season. She also looked forward to trips to visit her
daughter and family in California, and Hawaii and Florida with her sister.
Billie was diagnosed with dementia in 2011 and eventually she and Joe moved
into assisted living, with specialized memory care, in Grand Rapids, near Billie's
son, Michael, and family. Joe passed away in 2017, and Billie remained in the
residence until her death. During these years, the staff members grew to love
Billie's warm smile, and sweet disposition. They marveled at how energetic she
was, walking the halls and rooms, stopping to smile, sing, or chat with staff and
other residents. Collectively, this supportive staff helped give Billie a very loving
and comfortable place to call 'home' in her final years.
Billie will be missed by all who knew her and loved her. She is survived by her
four children and spouses: Michael Seaton (Carla), Lee Oller (Art), Jeff Seaton,
and Carolyn Mansour (John); and her grand-children Emmy Manko (Joe), Jared
Fite (Alishia), Sophia Oller (Scott Stambach), Devin Oller (Katherine Crabtree),
Josh Fite, Scott Oller (Megan Clark), Kellen Seaton (Jill Roberts), Kate Seaton,
Alex Seaton; and great grand-children Lyla and Teigen Fite, Ennis Oller, and Lou
Stambach.
Please join us for a gathering of remembrance and celebration of life at St John's
Church, Fenton, Michigan, on February 16, 2024 at 11:00 am.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Clara's Hope
https://www.clarashope.org/donate.
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