Billie Fay Bucinski
April 26, 1932 — December 26, 2023
Formerly of Fenton
Billie Fay Bucinski passed away peacefully on December 26, 2023, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She will be remembered for her big smile, hearty laugh, and the sly twinkle in her eye that gave a hint to her personality. She lived a long life, filled with many twists and turns, and through them all she held close to the people and places that were dear to her, especially her children. To them she wrote this special message: “I am very proud of you, you are always with me, and my love for you is endless.”
Billie Fay Bucinski (Kelly) was born on April 26,1932 in Clarksville, Tennessee. Billie, along with her older sister Betty Jean Kelly, and her parents Ann and John Kelly, eventually moved to Michigan. In 1939, Ann divorced John Kelly, and in 1945 she married Jesse Greene. Jesse became Billie and Betty’s stepfather and the four of them enjoyed 47 years together as a family. In Michigan, Billie trained to become a nurse at the Clara Ford School of Nursing in Detroit. At the time she was living in Algonac, and it was there that she met Robert Seaton (Bob). A couple of years later they were married, and for over 20 years they were together, raising their children, Michael, Lee, Jeffrey, and Carolyn. In that space of time, they lived in St. Clair Shores, Farmington, and Linden.
The home they lived in the longest was in Farmington and it was there that Billie developed some life-long friendships, in particular with Pat Thoresen, her dear friend for many decades. With all four children in school, Billie started working at the Board of Education where she honed the administrative skills that served her well in all her future jobs. In 1971, Billie and Bob moved to Linden where they enjoyed golf, swimming, and social activities at the local country club, Spring Meadows, connecting them with many new friends. Billie worked at the Fenton AMC/Jeep dealership. In 1974 Billie and Bob divorced, but Billie continued to live in the Fenton/Linden area.
In 1980, Billie married Leo Ankofski. He was gregarious and entrepreneurial, and Billie loved their time together. He and Billie developed a business model and created ‘Kelly Business Services’ and happily worked together for several years. Sadly, Leo died unexpectedly. Several years passed, and then Billie met and later married Joe Bucinski in 1993. They lived for a while in South Lyon, and then moved to Fenton where Billie and Joe became active parishioners at St.
John’s Catholic Church. They loved living in Fenton, enjoying summer festivals in the city park, walking their dog and feeding the deer who gathered outside their back door. They were also big fans at their grandsons’ football and basketball games. But their favorite pastime was dinner at the Fenton Hotel, where they became beloved regulars!
As we remember Billie, we remember that she loved her dogs, she loved watching TV shows that made her laugh, she loved singing along to the Supremes, she loved playing cards and ping pong. She took pride in her appearance, doing her own personal manicures, shopping for new clothes for each season, and always doing her hair and make-up before starting her day. She loved knitting and crocheting, making hats, baby blankets, and even Christmas stockings for her grandchildren. She also enjoyed gardening. Her favorite flower was the Peace rose, a lovely warm yellow flower with hints of pink.
Billie loved her adopted state of Michigan, never leaving it to live anywhere else. She enjoyed traveling around Michigan, taking in the beauty of the lakes. Trips to the Upper Peninsula to visit her sister Betty were always a favorite, especially in the fall foliage season. She also looked forward to trips to visit her daughter and family in California, and Hawaii and Florida with her sister.
Billie was diagnosed with dementia in 2011 and eventually she and Joe moved into assisted living, with specialized memory care, in Grand Rapids, near Billie’s son, Michael, and family. Joe passed away in 2017, and Billie remained in the residence until her death. During these years, the staff members grew to love Billie’s warm smile, and sweet disposition. They marveled at how energetic she was, walking the halls and rooms, stopping to smile, sing, or chat with staff and other residents. Collectively, this supportive staff helped give Billie a very loving and comfortable place to call ‘home’ in her final years.
Billie will be missed by all who knew her and loved her. She is survived by her four children and spouses: Michael Seaton (Carla), Lee Oller (Art), Jeff Seaton, and Carolyn Mansour (John); and her grand-children Emmy Manko (Joe), Jared Fite (Alishia), Sophia Oller (Scott Stambach), Devin Oller (Katherine Crabtree), Josh Fite, Scott Oller (Megan Clark), Kellen Seaton (Jill Roberts), Kate Seaton, Alex Seaton; and great grand-children Lyla and Teigen Fite, Ennis Oller, and Lou Stambach.
Please join us for a gathering of remembrance and celebration of life at St John's Church, Fenton, Michigan, on February 16, 2024 at 11:00 am.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Clara’s Hope https://www.clarashope.org/donate.
Service Schedule
Past Services
Funeral Mass
Friday, February 16, 2024
Starts at 11:00 am (Eastern time)
St John the Evangelist Catholic Church
Livestream
Guestbook
Visits: 162
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors