Deane Marie Milks

Deane Marie (Brown) Milks

Traverse City – Deane Marie (Brown) Milks of Traverse City passed away September 13, 2014, at Munson Hospice House. She was 76.

Deane was born on June 11, 1938, in Saginaw, Michigan, to the late Raymond P. and Lois M. (Wells) Brown; the family later moved to Copemish, Michigan. She was a 1956 graduate of Copemish High School and a 1959 graduate of Mercy School of Nursing in Muskegon.

On June 20, 1959, Deane married Herbert G. Milks, her high school sweetheart, in Copemish. The newlyweds moved to the Glen Lake/Empire area where they raised their children, and they shared nearly 49 years of marriage before his death in 2008. For many years prior to Herb's death, the couple enjoyed spending half their time in Las Vegas, Nevada, where they made many wonderful friends.

Deane was a registered nurse at Osteopathic Hospital in Traverse City in her early career, and then joined the late Dr. Matthew Houghton when he opened his practice in Empire in 1971. She retired from Dr. Houghton's practice and from nursing in 1981.

Deane had a lifelong devotion to needlework of all kinds. After her retirement, she developed a genuine passion for quilt-making and – as she would readily admit – an obsession with beautiful fabrics. She was an extraordinarily talented and prolific quilter who participated in quilt-oriented clubs and activities in Michigan and Las Vegas, produced both prize-winning art pieces and much-treasured quilts, and taught and inspired many others on their own quilting adventures (including both her daughters). In 1989, Deane put her organizational skills to work in support of her passion, serving as a member of the organizing committee and then a founding member of Michigan Quilt Network when it was established in 1990. MQN became one of her proudest accomplishments.

Deane's grandsons, Adam and Ryan Towers, were the loves of her life. She absolutely reveled in watching them grow into fine young men, and she treasured every single visit and update on their busy lives.

Deane is survived by her children Cynthia (Ron) Peck of California, Patricia (Tom) Towers of Traverse City, and Thomas of Livonia, Michigan; by her grandsons Adam Towers of Grand Rapids and Ryan Towers of Traverse City; and by her brothers Dennis Brown of Lansing, Michigan, and Rodney (Gayle) Brown of Iowa. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and infant daughter Katherine Sue.

A memorial mass will be celebrated on Saturday, September 27, 2014, at St. Philip Neri Catholic Church in Empire at 11:00 a.m. Visitation will be at 10:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial contributions may be made to Great Lakes Quilt Center at the Michigan State University Museum (museum.msu.edu/glqc), Glen Lake Fire Department ( www.glenlakefire.com ), or Munson Hospice House ( www.munsonhomehealth.org ).

The family is being served by Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home and Cremation Services. Please visit www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com to shar