Daphne Foley

Daphne Helen Foley, happiest surrounded by family, died May 31 in Midland in the company of her five children. She was 87. Born Daphne Smith Sept, 10, 1928, in Hazard, Kentucky, she was visiting her father in Saginaw when she met native Leo D. Foley at a party. She liked his booming laugh and outgoing personality. They married Aug. 26, 1950, and were planning their 50th anniversary - a family trip to Las Vegas -- when he died in 1998. The family lived in Saginaw until 1971, moving to Midland for nearly 20 years as Leo finished his career at Dow Chemical Co., before returning to Saginaw. While Daphne's focus was on her children, for decades she bowled in Saginaw leagues and gathered every other week with women friends in a card club, always shooing the children upstairs or down when she hosted, so they wouldn't eat all the bridge mix. She loved reading (thrillers and mysteries mostly), music (gospel and Dixieland, mostly) and cookies (all kinds). She also enjoyed casino trips, a regular activity whenever any child was around, and via bus, if no child was available when the mood struck. A longtime member of St. Mary's Cathedral, she volunteered for more than 15 years with the St. Mary's Hospital Auxiliary at its thrift shop. She laughed often, was full of helpful advice and insisted her children treat everyone as they would wish to be treated, with honesty, empathy and respect. Survivors include her children: Dennis (Diane) of California; Kathryn (Frank) Wallace of Florida; Mary (Clark) Cornell of Midland; Michael of Florida; and Terrance (Annette) of Sanford. Also, sisters Bettye Graham of Clarksville, Indiana, and Donna King of Saginaw, in-laws Patrick and Mary Ann Foley of Saginaw and Lily Mae Foley of Caro. She loved and delighted in her grandchildren, Kelly, Sasha, Todd, Sierra and Liam Foley, and great-grandson Matt Doherty. Visitation is scheduled from noon-4 p.m. Sunday, June 5, 2016 with a brief service afterward, at Deisler Funeral Home, 2233 Hemmeter Rd. (off State) in Saginaw. The family suggests donations to her favorite charities, the East Side Soup Kitchen and Underground Railroad, both in Saginaw. Please share your thoughts and memories with the family at the funeral home or through www.DeislerFuneralHome.com