Mark has been married to LaRae for 53 years and together they are actively involved in supporting and leading organizations throughout SW Michigan and the state. During Mark’s tenure serving as President of the South Haven Rotary, his club led the district in membership growth; received the Presidential Gold Citation and received the South Haven Community Investment Award in 2020. Mark also serves as President of the Speakers Series of South Haven, President of the South Haven Resource Council, Secretary of the Corewell Hospice South Board of Directors, and Treasurer of the Samaritas Foundation. He serves his community as Chairperson of the South Haven Township Planning Commission. He was named to the Michigan Insurance Hall of Fame in 2010.
His professional career spanned nearly 40 years as an executive with State Farm Insurance Companies serving as Vice President Claims and later as Vice President with responsibilities for operations in Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois. He is a graduate of Augustana University and completed graduate studies at University of Virginia Darden School of Business. He earned the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter Designation (CPCU) and holds the Master Citizen Planner credentials.
Mark and LaRae have two sons and five grandchildren with families in residing in Illinois and North Carolina. Their home in South Haven overlooks Lake Michigan where they are often found enjoying the lake life.
On Saturday, October 12th there will be a "FALL CUT-BACK AND CLEAN-UP 2024" from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Meeting at 112 S. Washington Square with Downtown Lansing Inc. There will be coffee, cider and donuts available. Let me know if you are interested:
The Michigan State Rotaract Club is hosting an event on October 2nd from 6 to 7 p.m. at Holmes Hall C102, 919 E. Shaw Lane, East Lansing. The event, "Meet the Rotarians", is a fun networking initiative that their club is organizing for their members. This is a great way for our club to meet young professionals at MSU, work with them, mentor them, and provide valuation advice on life, work, and Rotary!
If you are able to attend, please fill out this form to know who will be in attendance and to insure snacks and water at the event.
If you want to help for the devastation brought by Hurricane Helene this past weekend, Rotary Zones 33/34 have a disaster relief fund. Scroll down on the following link to contribute to Rotary relief efforts in Zones 33/34 (you can check the website for where that is located).
William Glenn Paxton was born on July 23,1929 in Winnetka, Illinois. He passed peacefully into God’s hands at his summer home in Shelby, Michigan on Sunday, September 15, 2024.
He is survived by his wife, Shirley Lightner Paxton, and four daughters: Marty (Mike) Franchot, Anne (Gana) Paxton, Jane Hoffman, and Suzie (Patrick) Paxton, seven grandchildren and one great grandson, and by his brother, Glenn (Leslie), and a number of nieces and nephews.
Bill will be remembered for his love of singing, his dry sense of humor, his generosity and integrity, his loyalty to his friends, his devotion to his family, and his love of his wife of seventy years whom he called "the light of my life.”
A memorial service will be held at Eastminster Presbyterian Church on Sunday, October 27 at 4:00, followed by a reception. There will be a service in Shelby for friends and family in July.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking donations be made to The Choral Union of Michigan State, The Greater Lansing Symphony or Eastminster Presbyterian Church.
The Michigan State Rotaract Club has implemented a new initiative called "Rent a Rotaractor". This is a fun and simple way for Rotarians to get simple tasks done while also contributing to the MSU Club's funding. As you know, most of their members are college-aged/young professionals who are unable to pay the higher Rotary fees. Their club offers a large discounted rate of fees, and they rely heavily on help from parent clubs and fundraisers to help keep them going. This is how it works:
Fill out the form below to inform MSU Rotaract what you need done near your home or business, such as weeding, raking, shoveling, etc.
MSU Rotaract will send a few Rotaractors to help you with the task.
A simple waiver of liability for safety reasons will be completed.
When the task is complete, you will make a donation of your choosing to the MSU Rotaract.
A group of 30 or so Rotarians reported to the Irish Pub on West Saginaw for food and libations on Thursday September 26th. There was space to mix and mingle as well as two long high tops for those who wanted to sit while they ate and drank.
The spicy mango margaritas had gotten advanced press and was the choice of several. It definitely lived up to its reputation! In addition, we were able to snack on delicious pizza, Rueben egg rolls (very tasty) and boneless chicken wings. There were also pretzel sticks with a dipping sauce that looked cheesy. I didn’t try those so I cannot report on them specifically.
It was nice to chat a bit longer than we do on Fridays. The flexible format is great – some came early and left early. Others came late and were still there when I left.
I found out that we had two members who came within a day of experiencing hurricane Helene first-hand. George Siegle managed to get a flight out of Orlando just ahead of the storm, while Steve Grant and a co-worker were able to find a rental car so they could drive home from Tampa – which they did in 17 hours straight. We are glad they both made it home safely.
2 S. Washington Square with Downtown Lansing Inc. There will be coffee, cider and donuts available. Let me know if you are interested:.jpg)
The Michigan State Rotaract Club is hosting an event on October 2nd from 6 to 7 p.m. at Holmes Hall C102, 919 E. Shaw Lane, East Lansing. The event, "Meet the Rotarians", is a fun networking initiative that their club is organizing for their members. This is a great way for our club to meet young professionals at MSU, work with them, mentor them, and provide valuation advice on life, work, and Rotary!
