Carl Walli Saari

Age 80. Beloved husband of Jeannie for 56 years. Loving father of Lisa (William) Moore, Christina (Joseph) Godell, and Timothy (Christina) Saari. Dear grandfather of Bradley, Jeremy, Cameron, Meghan, Kate, and Paige. Adoring great grandfather of Carly. Beloved sister, Irene Rochwarg, son of Carl Ewald Saari and Esther Saari. Carl was born in Palmer, MI, a small mining town in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. He spent his early years surrounded by his parents, Carl and Esther, along with his sister Irene, grandparents and uncles. Carl's family moved to Harper Woods, MI where he went to Beacon School and graduated from Harper Woods High School where he was captain of the football team and was named "best dancer" by his classmates. He was known by the nick-name "Cullie" by his friends, which is what they heard when his grandfather would call to him in his Finnish accent. He made friends with an great group of men who liked to call themselves the "BIG 8". After they retired from their careers they changed their group name to R.O.M.E.O. (Real Old Men Eating Out). He remained close friends with each of them until his dying day. Carl volunteered for the U.S Army in 1955 with his great friend Charlie Gentile, and they were both assigned a post in Germany and drove trucks for transporting troops. He liked to joke about how surprised he was to be tasked with driving a truck, responsible for the lives of dozens of soldiers since his eyesight was so bad. The only thing he worried about more than crashing the truck himself was that Charlie, who had equally bad eyesight, would crash into the back of him! As he would say, "go figure." After he returned from the Army, Carl attended Wayne State University, and began a career in the banking and finance. While he was going to school, Carl was introduced on a blind date to his loving wife Jeannie Healy, whom he married in 1960 and had three children with; Lisa, Christina and Timothy. He was a true family man and was always there to help his family in any way he could. He never missed a chance to tell his wife and children, "I love you." Carl enjoyed the outdoors, and spent many of his retirement summers at his cottage in Gaylord, MI where he enjoyed a quite evening of fishing and visiting with friends and family. He was also the family photographer and was famous for his slide shows which he would set up on the driveway and project onto the garage door. Even the neighbors who weren't in the pictures enjoyed them! He was also an avid reader, and would often have a news article, or comic strip to share. He was known for his famously dry sense of humor, and he delivered his one liners with a perfectly straight face... every time. He will forever be missed by his all of his family and friends. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Michigan.

Carl Walli Saari

May 11, 1935 - January 17, 2016