Charles “Bud” Kerly Kerlikowske Feb 8, 1925 – Feb 15, 2012.
Everyone called him Bud. He was a tall friendly guy with a big smile. He would give you the shirt of his back, and then play cards to win it back. He never “let” his children win at Scrabble, so that when they actually won, they knew they had achieved something memorable. He gave to his community and individuals generously, often forgetting his own kindnesses because they were such a part of him.
Bud was born at the Hinchman Shrine, as he referred to it, on Feb 8, 1925 to Mayme and Charlie Kerlikowske. With his three sisters (June Morse, Donna Hamilton, and Jeanne Tosi) and folks, Bud sampled education in several different states and often bragged about repeating second and fifth grades several times. He joined the Navy, but instead of active duty, he was sent to college where he perfected his bridge game and his way with the ladies. He met Beverly Anderson at WMU, and they were married in 1949. They had two daughters, (Elizabeth Kerlikowske, Beverly Butler). After his wife’s sudden death, he struck out in another direction and bought his own company, The Fruit Belt Beverage Company. Annoyed with calls about fruit when it was a beer distributorship, he changed the name to Bud Kerly Sales, and the rest is history.
He invested in the community and his own life. He adopted two sons (Jack Kerlikowske and Jim Kerlikowske) and, now widowed and divorced, he found his long time love Shirley in 1967 at Berrien Hills Country Club where they both knocked the other players around the golf course aided by Bud’s famous one handed putt, and then Bud finished the shellacking in the card room. They raised two sons (Scott Kerlikowske and Brad Kerlikowske) and were generous hosts to generations of friends.
When Bud entered a room, the mood lifted. He never meant to be the life of the party; he couldn’t help it. He delighted in giving out pens that said “Stolen from Bud Kerly” because beer distributors were not allowed to give promotions away. He loved the cabins up north near Boyne Falls. He cooked gigantic breakfasts for his grandchildren, broke the trail in the woods, knew all the best morel hunting spots, and scared the bejeepers out of everyone whenever he picked up a gun.
Bud supported the Republican Party and Ducks Unlimited. He believed in reincarnation and last week, when asked what he would come back as, he replied “The gambling Bud Kerly.” His friends, his extended family, his wife, his children, and the animals he loved to watch will all miss him very much. Bud was a card. He was the King of Hearts.
A Celebration of Life service will be held in the Jordan Tatter Great Room at Sarett Nature Center on Mar 3 at 1 pm, Pastor Catherine Batten Balk presiding. Please bring your best Bud stories to share. Cremation has taken place. Donations in Bud’s memory may be made to Hospice at Home or Sarett Nature Center. Those wishing to share a memory of Bud may do so online at …
