Carlo La Rocca

Carlo “Charlie” La Rocca, age 72, of Caseville, formerly of Detroit, died Saturday, September 19, 2009 at Scheurer Hospital in Pigeon.

Carlo was born October 14, 1936 in Detroit to the late Guiseppe and Vincenza (Piazza) La Rocca. On November 10, 1962 he married Florence C. Smith in Highland Park.

Carlo, also known as Rocco at work, retired from Chrysler Detroit Forge after 31 years as an overhead crane operator. Having vacationed in Caseville for many years, he moved there permanently in 1987. Carlo enjoyed tinkering, taking things apart and putting them back together, his Italian heritage and family.

Surviving are his wife Florence; children Jeannie (Steve) Taylor of Tenn., Agnes (Glenn) Jones of Roseville, Nancy of Tenn., Kathryn (Edwin) Caldwell of Warren, John (Connie) of Tenn., Suzanne (David) Short of Yale, Marie (Norm Jr.) Fournier of Eastpointe and Tony of Roseville; 18 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; sister Anna Wayman of Redford and brother Joseph (Patricia) of Marysville; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his brother Vincenzo and sister Frances.

Funeral services will be at 8:00 pm Monday, September 21st at the Champagne Funeral Chapel of Caseville. Burial will be in Resurrection Cemetery in Clinton Township on Thursday.

Visitation will be Monday 2 to 8PM at the funeral home in Caseville.

There will also be a visitation from 1:00 to 9:00pm Wednesday at the S.K. Schultz Funeral Home in Eastpointe and a Mass Thursday morning at Assumption Grotto Catholic Church in Detroit.

Memorials may be made to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (www.aarda.org)