Grace Ferguson

Grace Dolores Ferguson nee Laker, age 75, a resident of Royal Oak, died December 29, 2009 after a prolonged illness. Dolores was born April 18, 1934 in Detroit to the late Marvin Laker and Rae Levin. She was a 1952 graduate of Detroit Central High School and then attended Wayne State University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Education in 1956, and a Master's degree in 1965. She began her teaching career in 1956 in the Oakland County Public Schools. She retired in 1985 from the Lamphere Public Schools in Madison Heights to care for her late husband, Ardale Wesley Ferguson, whom she married in 1976. Dolores was appointed by Governor William Milliken in 1981 to serve as a member of the Mackinac Bridge Authority. She also served on the 25th Anniversary Committee of the Mackinac Bridge in 1982-1983, chaired by the former Governor of the State of Michigan, G. Mennen Williams. She was a member of many associations and professional organizations, including the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Grand Opera Association, the Sinai Hospital Guild, and the Berrien Hills Country Club. She was also a life member of the Michigan Historical Society. A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 16, 2010 at the Clawson United Methodist Church, 205 N. Main Street, with the Rev. Thomas Keef officiating. The inurnment will take place at White Chapel Memorial Cemetery in Troy. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice. Arrangements by Wm. Sullivan & Son Funeral Home, Royal Oak, 248-541-7000. Share your memories at www.sullivanfuneraldirectors.com.