Emily Margaret Michel, 33, of Livonia, MI, passed away unexpectedly on February 5, 2020. She was the daughter of Kathy Ballenger Michel, formerly of Jasper, and Brian A. Michel, formerly of Huntingburg.
She was born September 24, 1986, in Decatur, Illinois at St. Mary’s Hospital. She graduated from Novi High School in Novi, Michigan, in 2004, where she was a varsity cheerleader, an Academic All State sprinter, and a member of the National Honor Society. She was also a student of ballet for 12 years and an accomplished pianist.
She was a graduate of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor (Go Blue!) in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She was a pediatric nurse for 10 years, caring for children at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit, C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, and Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego. More recently she enjoyed nursing in Home Health with Beaumont Hospital Systems and Custom Home Health Care before moving to J&B Medical last month. She was beloved by her patients and coworkers, alike.
Emily was blessed with many talents and she loved fiercely. She was a happy person by nature and everyone who knew her, loved her. Her smile lit up a room and the lives of her family and friends, her laugh was infectious. She loved all children and dogs… cats, not so much, but she tolerated her mother’s. She had a love of cooking and baking, and she enjoyed entertaining. She was a lover of holidays and family time. She uncannily knew the words to every song and movie she ever saw and frequently entertained her “people” with her antics, always in an assortment of accents.
Surviving are her mother, Kathy of Farmington Hills, Michigan; her father, Brian (Terri) of Monroe, Ohio; her paternal grandmother, Doris J. Michel of Huntingburg; her godmother, Karen Ballenger Brush (Chris) of Grand Rapids, MI; aunt, Beth Ballenger Otto of Bloomington; uncle, Mike Ballenger (Connie) Upper of Arlington, Ohio; uncle, Todd Ballenger (Jill) of Springfield Illinois; aunt, Diane Jones (Brian) of Velpen; godfather, Evan Michel (Tracey) of Huntingburg; great-uncles, Terry Krodel of Jasper and Gene Michel (Lula) of Santa Claus; and great-aunt, Barbara Hevron (James) of Newburgh. She will also be missed by her cousins, Dan Otto, Jonah Otto, Andrew Ballenger, Michael Ballenger, Roman Ballenger, Ruth Roberts, Rose Ballenger, Zach Eckert, Alexzandra Michel, Aidan Michel, and Jack Michel. Nicholas Mayle and Harper were loved by Emily and they will miss her, as well.
She was preceded in death by her cherished grandparents, Hugh and Shirley Ballenger of Jasper and Ralph Michel of Huntingburg.
Visitation for Michigan family and friends will be held on Saturday, February 15 from 2 to 6 p.m., with a prayer service at 6 p.m. at O’Brien Sullivan Funeral Home in Novi. A Mass of Christian Burial for Emily Michel will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, February 17 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Jasper. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery in Jasper. An abbreviated visitation at the church will begin at 9 a.m.
Online condolences may be made at www.becherkluesner.com.
