Richard Lewis Zann

Richard Lewis Zann, age 84, of Fenton, MI passed away on December 12, 2024, at his home.

Visitation will be at Sharp Funeral Homes, Fenton Chapel, 1000 Silver Lake Road, on Sunday, December 15, from 3:00-7:00PM, with Rosary at 6:00PM. Visitation will continue on Monday, December 16, 10:00AM-10:30AM at St. John’s Catholic Church, 600 N. Adelaide Street, Fenton, MI, followed by funeral mass at 10:30AM. Burial will be at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, MI on Monday, December 16, at 12:30PM, with luncheon to follow at church. 

The sixth of six children, Richard (“Dick”) was born to John Stanley and Wilma Ella (Kelley) Zann on September 14, 1940, in Dearborn, MI.

He attended St. Alphonsus Catholic High School, where he was president of his senior class, followed by Henry Ford Community College and Eastern Michigan University, earning a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Education. 

Richard joined the Navy and served on the USS Oak Hill amphibious assault ship during the Vietnam war (1964-1967), and he remained in the Naval Reserve Corps until he retired from the military in 2000. After returning from active duty in Vietnam, Richard began a 30-year career teaching. He started teaching in Detroit, but spent the bulk of his career teaching mathematics in the Flint Public Schools.

On December 22, 1967, Richard married MaryAnn Berndt in Fenton, MI, where they made their home and raised three children, Amy, John, and Christian. He was active in youth activities, such as coaching little league baseball and playing countless hours of catch and baseball in the front yard, as well as being an enthusiastic attendee at piano recitals.

Richard enjoyed spending time with his family and friends, especially his five grandchildren Holden, Hadley, Molly, Jack, and Lila. Other interests included playing cards, reading, taking care of his lawn, fishing, target shooting, and continuing to learn. He enjoyed physical exercise, earlier in life as a runner and later in life as an avid gym member. 

He was welcomed into MaryAnn’s family in South Dakota, where he experienced a more rural type of life as well as becoming his mother-in-law’s favorite son-in-law, helping with projects around her house on each visit.

Richard was a generous, kind, humble, and hard-working person, dedicated to his family. Richard had a fierce love of family, and he will be dearly missed by all.

Richard is survived by his wife of 56 years MaryAnn, daughter Amy (Catherine) of Evanston, IL, sons John (Jen) of Ann Arbor, MI, and Christian (Amy) of Denver, CO; five grandchildren: Holden, Hadley, Molly, Jackson, and Lila; and sister Marge, sisters-in-law Betty and Sharon, and many nieces and nephews. 

He was preceded in death by his parents John Stanley and Wilma Ella Zann, and sisters Patricia (Aubrey Allen), and Marilyn (Tom Diaz), and brothers Tom and Jim.

Contributions can be made in honor of Richard to Habitat for Humanity of Michigan