Vitalija Ona Vaskelis Thompson of Traverse City, Michigan (formally of East Lansing, Michigan) passed away peacefully at the Munson Hospice House on Monday, November 13, 2023, after a courageous battle following a stroke.

Of Lithuanian decent, Vitalija was born on November 3, 1946, at a Displaced Persons camp in Vadenstadt, Germany to parents Angele Kelmelis and Antanas Vaskelis. At the age of 2, Vitalija, her parents and older sister, Grazina Vaskelis, came through Ellis Island and their assigned destination was Traverse City, Michigan. After time as indentured servants on a farm in Traverse City, the family headed to Detroit – 24th Street and Vernor Highway West.

Vitalija graduated from Detroit's Western International High School in 1962 and received an academic scholarship to the University of Michigan where she graduated with a degree in Psychology. She also received a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Western Michigan University. She worked at the Bank of Detroit and with the Medicaid program for Blue Cross Blue Shield. When the Medicaid program was taken over by the State of Michigan, Vitalija started her career in state government. She worked for the State of Michigan, Department of Health and Human Services, for 36 years in multiple positions, retiring as a Certified Governmental Financial Manager.

She was an incredible single parent to daughter, Angela Marian, providing an example of love, compassion, selflessness and strength.

Vitalija had a myriad of interests. She loved art, art museums and the annual Ann Arbor Art Fair. She always completed the Detroit Free Press crossword puzzle and was a voracious reader of murder mysteries, especially those of Agatha Christie. Vitalija loved to be outside, cultivating her raspberries and tomatoes or just weeding the lawn.

Vitalija and her family spent every week of the 4th of July in Northport, Michigan on Lake Michigan, enjoying swimming, beach walks for Petoskey stones, bonfires, sunsets, card/board games and running around Leelanau County. She loved Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and watched professional tennis each August in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was a fan of the University of Michigan and Detroit Lions football teams and at one time was a season ticket holder.

Vitalija was preceded in death by her mother, father, step-father Peter Buksnis and brother-in-law, Alfred W. Giroux.

Vitalija is survived by her daughter Angela M. (Thompson) Hagy, son-in-law Jonathan D. Hagy and sister Grazina Vaskelis Giroux.

The family would like to thank the nurses, aides and social workers at the Munson Hospice House who provided extraordinary care and, in a very short time, felt like family. Many thanks and love to Wendy, Heidi, Julie, Patti, James, Taryn, Mary, Mary Ann, Victoria, Sarah and Maria.

Visitation will be from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. on Monday, November 27, 2023, at Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home, 305 Sixth Street, Traverse City, Michigan 49684. The funeral service for Vitalija will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, at St. Philip Neri Church, 11411 S. Lacore Road, Empire,

Michigan 49630. Father Kenneth Stachnik will be presiding. She will be laid to rest at the Oakwood Cemetery in Traverse City, Michigan.

Those wishing to offer expressions of sympathy are encouraged to make memorial donations to the Munson Hospice House, Meals on Wheels and the Father Fred Foundation.