Donald Laatsch Obituary

Laatsch, Donald
3/3/1929 - 10/3/2023
Donald William Laatsch was born on March 3, 1929. He died peacefully on October 3, 2023 surrounded by his family. Don grew up in Saginaw, Michigan, along with his two brothers, Jack and Jerry, and his parents, Jessie and Reinhold Laatsch. Their home was small, but filled with love and we have fond memories of filling every space with our cousins, aunts and uncles at the holidays.
Don went to Michigan State University where he majored in mathematics and chemistry. After graduation, he was deployed to Tacoma, Washington to serve in the Korean War as a mechanical engineer. Upon returning from Washington, Don had a number of teaching positions. However, his love for kids led him to be a school counselor where he had a wonderful career providing guidance to the students at Birmingham Seaholm High School for decades.
Don met Janet (Chipman) while she was teaching English at Seaholm HS. They fell in love and were married on June 19, 1965. They honeymooned in Europe where they bought a Volkswagon Bug and then had it shipped home to the states. Don and Janet were excited to start a family and lived in Birmingham until they retired.
After retiring, Don and Janet moved to East Lansing to be closer to a university town. In East Lansing, Don served as the Spartan Stadium family taxi service for his kids, grandkids and their friends on a regular basis.
Don had many interests and rarely ever sat down except once and a while, he would "rest" his eyes. Don carried on his mother's love of gardening. He also loved planning trips and made sure that his family explored many parts of the United States - even if that meant heading across the Nevada desert in a station wagon with broken air conditioning. Don was also famous for clipping coupons and finding bargains. This kind of bargain hunting led to a stash of 24 bottles of Chi Chi's salsa that took a few years to use. Don had a sweet tooth and especially enjoyed donuts, cinnamon rolls, Peeps and Necco wafers. "Bop-Bop" was famous for walking trips with his grandchildren to Quality Dairy for donuts and ice cream.
Don's family enjoyed many wonderful memories at Gull Lake in the earlier years. Learning to sail, trips to the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, shuffleboard games and excursions to the Kellogg Cereal Factory were a few of the many memories made at Gull Lake.
Don and Janet purchased an up north cottage in 1989 on Bear Lake (Manistee County) where Don's family continues to make special memories. Beautiful sunsets, swimming down by the dock, and s'mores at the fire will continue in his memory.
Don was happiest when he was clowning around and making his kids, grandchildren and friends laugh (despite how corny his jokes and mannerisms were). If you could look up the definition of "people person" in the dictionary, you'd find Don Laatsch next to it. Don always found the good in all people which is why so many people loved him so much.
Don is survived by his wife, Janet; his three children, Emily (Bill), Steve (Laura), Katie (Tim); his grandchildren, Jessie, Will, Jett, Jade, Lauren, and Ellen; and sister-in-laws, Gloria and Patti; along with nieces, nephews, and many lifelong friends.
Don will be buried at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, Michigan. Don's life will be celebrated with a small family gathering in the Spring of 2024. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to one of these organizations supporting children's mental health services:
National Alliance of Mental Health - Washtenaw County
https://namiwc.org/
Ozone House
https://ozonehouse.org/
Corner Health Center
https://cornerhealth.org/