Guy J Ebenhoeh

Guy Joseph Ebenhoeh

May 7, 1952 - May 30, 2024

Guy J. Ebenhoeh was the oldest of six children, born in Detroit, MI at St. Joseph’s Hospital to B. Paula Ebenhoeh and Joseph F. Ebenhoeh, Jr. He was eager to arrive, born 2 months prematurely, and came home from the hospital healthy, in a shoebox. Guy grew up a member of the St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in St. Clair Shores, MI where he also attended grade school. In between helping to build an addition onto the house and spending time with his siblings - Anne, Mark, Paul, Mike, and Beth - he enjoyed building models and reading books about WWII. He graduated from Notre Dame High School in 1970, and furthered his education by going to Michigan State University. During his 6 years in East Lansing, Guy was an active member at St. John Catholic Church & Student Center, even becoming their custodian at one point in exchange for lodging. Guy graduated with a Food Science degree in 1976.

Guy moved to Chicago for his first job, which was with the Campbell Soup Company overseeing quality control. In the early ‘80s, Guy went to work for Perseco, the leading supplier of packaging materials for McDonald’s. During more than 10 years there, he traveled the globe, hosted many colleagues and international guests for family dinners, and was on the team who opened the first McDonald’s in Russia in 1990. His primary portfolio was South America which took him to Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile. In 1997, the family relocated to Kalamazoo where Guy took a job with First of America Bank. In 1999, Guy started working for the Kalamazoo Valley Plant Growers Co-Op, a greenhouse collaborative, and closed his professional career at VanBeek Nutrition, from which he retired in 2017.

Guy met his life-long love, Dorothy Chidester Ebenhoeh, while on a community retreat. They were married in 1982 and were active members at Ford City Catholic Center. In 1984 and 1986 they welcomed their children, Theresa and Daniel. When the family moved to Kalamazoo, they joined the St. Thomas More Catholic Student Parish community, where he has devoted much of his time and service. Guy’s passions in life were his family, Church ministry, and history - specifically his study of WWII. He had the ability to recall the most obscure detail from an article he read 15 years ago during a casual Wednesday night conversation with Dorothy and his friends.

During a period of unemployment, Dorothy encouraged Guy to pursue docent training at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo. Guy started volunteering giving tours. Over 20 years, Guy increased his time and commitment from twice a month to three days per week, culminating in 6,000 volunteer hours at the Air Zoo! His contributions may be compared to the books on the Air Zoo’s Smith Library shelves: Diverse, impactful, insightful, voluminous, and story rich. He served as a key Collections & Archives volunteer where he researched and cataloged a host of artifacts and archival pieces, including historic military artifacts and rare books. Guy taught guests of all ages as a faithful docent, particularly seeking out youth and scout groups. He participated in all sorts of events, from Open Cockpit days to member evenings. The Air Zoo turned to Guy not only for his loyal work, skills, and wisdom, but also for his friendship. Guy’s contributions will continue to be meaningful to the community, and he will remain a beloved member of the Air Zoo Family.

Guy’s commitment to service was also a great benefit to his church community. He was a wonderful lector, proclaiming scripture readings at Sunday Mass. Guy was a long-time member of the St. Thomas More Men’s group and his proclamation skills made him the “official” reader of scripture passages that opened each meeting. Guy’s contributions to discussions were always thoughtful, gentle, and insightful. He drove the parish van providing students transportation to Sunday night Mass, and he and Dorothy were regulars in providing suppers for college students at St. Toms. Guy also accompanied many people in their journeys of faith as a sponsor in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. All who walked with him appreciated his graciousness, wisdom, and serenity. He was a shining example of a grounded, spiritual human being.

As a couple grounded in their faith in God, Guy and Dorothy supported their immediate and extended family fighting multiple cancer battles - including Guy’s triumph over prostate cancer. He was a patient listener, always able to provide thoughtful and faith inspired counsel, a determined survivor and caregiver, and joined in on the fundraising for cancer research and celebrating the end of treatments.

Guy cherished 41 years of marriage with Dorothy, raising their children in a loving, music filled environment, where Guy would never miss a chance to say how proud he was of his family. He boosted his children’s confidence, supported them as they moved or flew off to countries around the globe, and was always eagerly waiting to hear every detail of their adventures. Most importantly, Guy was promoted to “Grandpa” 10 years ago, and it was a title he took seriously. He was always up for reading bedtime stories, hosting each grandchild for special one-on-one time, and often volunteering the suggestion to find some ice cream. He looked forward to his visits to Wisconsin to spend time with Theresa, Brett and their children Connor and Isaac. Every Sunday, he proudly sat with Dan and Lisa’s family at mass. He was often caught bragging about the many gifts Noah, Bryn, Roman, and Seth shared with the Church through their reading, basket passing, singing, and altar serving.

We were all shocked by the suddenness of his passing: his family, his friends, his Air Zoo and St. Tom’s communities. We are left with so many incredible memories, photos, and stories. Guy has lifted many of us up to be stronger in our faith, more determined in our research, and dedicated to our families. We will miss him dearly. Dorothy, Theresa, Dan, Brett, Lisa, and the entire family thank you for helping us celebrate his life, legacy, and love.

Guy is survived by his wife Dorothy; children Theresa (Brett) Voigt and Daniel (Lisa) Ebenhoeh; grandchildren Noah, Bryn, Roman, Isaac, Connor, and Seth; siblings Anne Ebenhoeh, Mark (Ling) Ebenhoeh, Paul (Nancy) Ebenhoeh, and Mike (Gail) Ebenhoeh; and many sibling-in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his father Joseph F. Ebenhoeh, Jr., his mother B. Paula Ebenhoeh, and his sister Beth Ebenhoeh.

In lieu of sending flowers, please consider joining us to honor Guy’s impact at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo. Because of his knowledge, skills, and love of serving others, in a single week, Guy could successfully give museum tours, help families checkout library books, conduct exhibit research, catalog artifacts, and attend an evening event. Gifts of any size made in Guy Ebenhoeh’s memory will help continue his gracious efforts to benefit the Air Zoo community. These gifts will help support cataloging and safe storage of the Air Zoo’s rare and historic book collection and fund a small, permanent exhibition informed by elements of Guy’s passion projects. These funds will also help us permanently memorialize Guy in a public space at the Air Zoo. The fundraising goal for these projects is $2,500.

We thank you for considering a memorial gift to the Air Zoo where Guy spent countless hours over many years in the Library and Collections. By clicking here, you'll be prompted to begin a quick, 3-step donation process. The opportunity to designate your gift in Guy's memory is found in the second step.