Elizabeth A. (May) Cloutier

Elizabeth (May) Cloutier, 96, of Elkhart, Indiana (previously of Traverse City, Michigan and Winfield, Illinois) passed away peacefully August 12, 2021, in the presence of family.  She was the beloved wife of Laurence Cloutier, who preceded her in death in 2015, and the loving mother of Ann Marie (Tom) Ryan of Bristol, Indiana; David (d. 2021) (Mary Lu) Cloutier of Somonauk, Illinois; Michael Cloutier (d. 1977), Paul Cloutier of Los Angeles, California; Mark Cloutier of Eagle, Wisconsin; and Tim Cloutier of Monterrey, California.  She was the beloved grandmother, great grandmother, and great-great grandmother of nearly thirty grateful descendants. She was the daughter of Charles and Mary (Paffhausen) May and the sister of Mary, John, Patricia (Paul) Goyette, Gretchen (Roy) Speer, Charles, Jeanette (Eugene) Ghering, and Kathryn (Jack) Snoek.

Liz was born and raised in Traverse City, Michigan.  She married Larry on St. Patrick’s Day, 1945.  They lived several places while Larry served in the U.S. Navy as a pilot.  They later lived in Dearborn, Michigan and Winfield, Illinois, before retiring in Grawn, near Traverse City.  They later moved to Bristol and Elkhart, Indiana.  Liz raised her children while always staying active in her parishes and singing in her parish choirs. She was a devout Catholic, and her and Larry’s secret to a 70-year marriage was “Put God first, each other second, and ourselves last.”  She worked for many years at Gary-Wheaton bank in Wheaton, Illinois, and remained a proud stockholder.  Liz loved playing the piano and crocheting.  It would be impossible to count all the blankets and doilies she made for family, friends, and especially for charity.  She volunteered for decades at local nursing homes on Sundays.

While known for many things, Liz is perhaps best remembered for her constant sense of gratitude for all of life’s blessings.  She began a large share of her sentences with “I am so grateful that...”  She always had faith that the words of one of her favorite hymns would prove true, as they no doubt have now: “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, what God has waiting for those who love him.”

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2 pm Saturday, August 21, 2021 at St. Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church, 411 W. Vistula Street, Bristol, IN 46507, where visitation will be from 1 to 2 pm.  Interment will be at 1 pm Monday August 23, 2021 at Oakwood Catholic Cemetery, Traverse City, MI.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Catholic Charities of Fort Wayne-South Bend, 1817 Miami St., South Bend, IN 46613 www.ccfwsb.org Online condolences may be sent to www.stemmlawsonpeterson.com.

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