Edythe Safford

Edythe Louise Dhyne 'Edie' Safford, 89, of Rochester Hills, Michigan, went to meet her Lord and Savior on October 23, following an extended battle with lymphoma. She was born April 2, 1924 in Highland Park, Michigan to Edith Mae DuBois and Louis Joseph Dhyne. She graduated from Detroit Denby High School in 1942, worked as a 'Rosie the Riveter' war-time factory worker and attended classes at the University of Chicago. In 1944, at the age of 20 as soon as she was eligible she enlisted in the United States Navy, receiving an honorable discharge as a Pharmacists Mate Third Class in 1946. She married Harry G. Safford on May 25, 1947 in Detroit, Michigan and they lived together until his death in 1997. Edythe was the product of a loving, blue-collar family who appreciated the value of faith, hard work, education and fine arts. Her parents moved to Highland Park, Michigan from Binghamton, New York, in 1916, when her father Louis, a second-generation Belgian immigrant, responded to Henry Ford's call to help him produce the greatest automobiles in the world for $5 a day. Her mother Edith studied piano for a number of years as a youth and recognized musical talent in her daughters Anne and Edythe. With her mother's supportive encouragement, young Edythe was able to audition to appear on a popular children's program on Detroit radio, "The Children's Theatre of the Air" which was broadcast every Sunday at noon from the Broadway Capital Theatre in downtown Detroit. It was also during this time that young Edythe was called upon to perform any children's parts written in the scripts of several popular dramatic programs originating out of WXYZ and WJR radio in Detroit, such as "The Lone Ranger", "Green Hornet", "Sgt. Preston of the Yukon", "Inner Sanctum", among others. Edythe was involved in these productions until her graduation from high school in 1942. By this time WWII had broken out and Edythe decided to move to Chicago, worked at the Dodge-Chicago war plant and took classes at the College of Radio and Drama at the University of Chicago. In November of 1944 she enlisted in the United States Navy and received her initial training at Hunter's College in New York City, where she was assigned to the "Singing Platoon" and spent the next several weeks singing at classes, training events, mess hall gatherings, etc. On Christmas Eve, 1944 she boarded a train for San Diego where she began advanced training as an oral surgeon's assistant, and remained in San Diego until her honorable discharge in May of 1946. She returned to Detroit and through her sister Anne and brother-in-law Fred Rivard met a young local musician, arranger and composer named Harry Safford. They were wed on May 25, 1947 and began a post-war life together in the Detroit area, with Harry making a modest name for himself in the Detroit music scene and Edythe focusing her energies on the needs of their growing family. Harry and Edythe moved the family "up north" to West Branch, Michigan in 1962 to be near her father and mother who had retired and moved there permanently a year earlier. Edythe soon began a second career in the newspaper business, and after successfully raising six children and launching them into college and adult life, retired in 1986 as Office Manager of the Ogemaw County Herald in West Branch. Harry and Edythe returned to the Detroit area in 1991 to be closer to their adult children and growing herd of grandchildren. Edythe was active in the Episcopal Church in West Branch for many years as a lay reader and officer, serving, ministering and supporting clergy and congregations in the area. She was also active in the Girl Scouts, a proud veteran of World War II and was active in her WAVES community in southeast Michigan. She was also an avid Detroit sports fan who would not miss a Tiger game on the radio or television, even as her health issues began to take center stage. As a youngster, she would read the daily box scores to her father over the telephone during his second-shift dinner break at the Dodge plant she later taught her sons how to score a baseball game. An expert with a crochet hook and knitting needle, she spent many hours of her retirement years making afghans, sweaters, hats, mittens, scarves---all for her grandchildren, whom she adored. She loved ice cream---probably dating back to her days as a youth in Detroit when she would go to the Sanders store on Jefferson Avenue after school managed by her uncle Cleve Myers. An avid card player, Edythe spent years playing and teaching contract bridge and was often consulted over the phone by her adult children on how best to bid a certain hand. She was predeceased by her husband Harry 1997; her sister Anne Rivard 1985; her brother Robert 1992; her mother Edith 1976; and her father Louis 1963. She is survived by sons Ralph Randall Kate, Roger Lee Mary Ellen, Brian Harry Michele; daughters Lori Louise, Annella Marie Baker, and Lisa Mae Tom Hrit; 23 grand-children and 8 great-grandchildren. A memorial service and celebration of life will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Southwest Solutions in support of Piquette Square, a housing and residential care development for homeless veterans in Detroit. Information on the project can be found at http://www.swsol.org/piquette_square. Checks should be made out to 'Southwest Solutions' with 'Edythe Safford memorial' noted.