Oct. 19, 1931 — July 22, 2015

Deacon Howard Whitehouse, 83, of Niles, died at 3:22 p.m. on Wednesday, July 22, 2015 at Lakeland Hospital — Niles following a brief illness.

He was born on October 19, 1931 in Canmer, Kentucky to Howard and Ada B. (Smith) Whitehouse. He was graduated from the former Wilbur Wright High School in Detroit.

He began a career in retail grocery stores, and became a representative for Purex Industries. He then attended Saints Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake, Michigan and was ordained by the Archdiocese of Detroit as a Deacon in the Roman Catholic Church on June 18, 1971.

Deacon Whitehouse served as Director of Religious Education at Holy Innocents Parish in Roseville, the former Ascension Parish in Warren, Saint Louise de Marillac Parish in Warren, Saint Perpetua Parish in Waterford, the former Saint Louis the King Parish in Detroit, and Saint Francis Cabrini Parish in Allen Park before coming to Niles in 1993 to serve at Saint Mary Parish.

He was a member of Saint Mary Catholic Church in Niles, and volunteered at the Cass County Council on Aging. In Detroit, he had been active in the Curcillos in Christianity movement. He enjoyed bluegrass music, playing the guitar and the banjo, attending area festivals, and performing at area senior living facilities. He also enjoyed tending his vegetable garden and fishing in the Saint Joseph River.

On Aug. 30, 1952 in Detroit he married the former Barbara June Graessle, with whom he celebrated last year the remarkable Sixty-second anniversary of their wedding

Surviving family includes his wife, Barbara Whitehouse and their children, Gayle (Bruce) Forbes of Roseville, Michigan, Dale Edward (Lynda) Whitehouse of Littleton, Colorado, Les (Denise) Whitehouse of Chesterfield, Michigan, Kelly (Robert) Nightingale of Niles, and Tracy (Michael) Padaline of Sterling Heights, Michigan; 19 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren; and Howard’s brother, Jerry Whitehouse of Saint Clair Shores, Michigan.

The Mass of Christian Burial for Deacon Howard Whitehouse will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Monday, July 27, 2015, at Saint Mary Catholic Church in Niles by the Rev. Alphonse Savarimuthu, MSFS, assisted by Deacon Roger Gregorski, with the presence of The Most Reverend Paul J. Bradley, Bishop of the Archdiocese of Kalamazoo. Committal Rites will be on Tuesday, July 28, 2015 at Roseland Park Cemetery in Royal Oak, Michigan.

The family will receive relatives and friends on Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. at Saint Mary Catholic Church, and will conclude with a Prayer Service at 4 p.m. Contributions in memory of Deacon Howard Whitehouse may be made to Saint Mary Catholic Church, or to Saint Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Arrangements were made at the Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles.

www.halbritterfunerals.com