R.L. "Len" Carefoot Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

R.L. "Len" Carefoot, age 89, passed away Thursday June 20, 2013, surrounded by his children and grandchildren, at the Sunny Vista Living Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson's disease. Born September 10, 1923, in Vineland, Ontario, Canada, the son of Rankin L. and Clara V. (Swayze) Carefoot, Len married Beverly Joan Sully of Ottawa, Ontario in 1949. He graduated from the University of Toronto Medical School as an MD and practiced medicine in the US from 1949 until 1983. He operated the St Luke's Hospital medical laboratory and served as Medical Examiner in Marquette, Michigan for 23 years and in retirement was a longtime resident of Traverse City, Michigan. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Beverly, of Colorado Springs, CO, five children: James (Nancy), Gilbert, AZ, Robert (Cynthia) Colorado Springs, CO, Ann (Randy) Gingrich, Colorado Springs, CO, Thomas (Bridget), Traverse City, MI, and Patricia, Colorado Springs, CO, twelve grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. A naturalized US citizen, Len was a dedicated husband and father, a physician, pilot, golfer, avid outdoorsman, inventor, and radio control airplane enthusiast. In his retirement years he enjoyed improving and maintaining his waterfront home on Silver Lake near Traverse City, known to many in the family as the Carefoot Resort. There he and his wife Bev spent time with their children and grandchildren, who spent many happy hours fishing, waterskiing, playing ball in the yard and cooking on the deck. In recent years the effects of his Parkinson's disease meant a move into assisted living near his daughters Ann and Patty in Colorado Springs, but Michigan was his home. He was a devoted follower of Christ to the end of his life. A memorial service will be held for Len at Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home in Traverse City, MI at 2:00pm on August 17, 2013, followed by a reception and inurnment at Grand Traverse Memorial Gardens.Memorials are preferred to the Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinsons, Boulder, Colorado http://www.davisphinneyfoundation.org. or World Vision, P.O. Box 9716, Federal Way, WA. 98063 Please visit www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com to share your thoughts and memories with the family. The family is being served by the Reynolds Jonkhoff Funeral Home.

R.L. "Len" Carefoot

September 10, 1923 - June 20, 2013