Dr. William W Kitti of Kalkaska passed away peacefully at the Eden Center Long Term Care Unit of Kalkaska Memorial Health Center of Sep 1, 2006, at the age of 86.
William (Bill) was born in Cleveland, OH on Oct 30, 1919, the son of Charles and Anna (Backman) Kitti. He attended Lincoln High School in Ferndale, where he was elected class president and played baseball and basketball. Upon graduation in 1937, he was awarded a four year academic scholarship to Michigan Technological University. After working for a year, he attended Michigan Tech where he was elected to Blue Key National Honor Fraternity and Tau Beta Pi, the honorary fraternity for engineering students. He also played basketball and ran the half-mile and mile events on the track team, setting school records in both events that stood for over 20 years. He graduated from Michigan Tech in 1942 with a degree in mining engineering. At graduation, he received an award as the outstanding athlete and scholar in his graduating class.
After graduation Bill worked for a short time for Bethlehem Steel Corporation in Johnstown, PA before enlisting in the Air Force. He was sent to Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he was trained in meteorology. He was then commissioned a Second Lieutenant and spent the next two years working as a meteorologist in Australia, New Guinea, the Philippine Islands, and Japan. He was honorably discharged a Captain. On his return home he was united in marriage to Ellen Erickson from Ahmeek, MI on Mar 2, 1946 at Bethlehem Finnish Lutheran Church in Detroit with the Reverend Jacob Heikkinen officiating.
Bill worked briefly for the Oliver Iron Mining Company in Coleraine, MN before applying to Wayne State University Medical School. After graduation from medical school in 1951 he moved to Kalkaska where he spent the next 31 years working as a family doctor. He helped establish the Kalkaska Memorial Health Center and Kalkaska Family Practice. He helped to guide the rural health clinic through many trying times while making house calls and caring for patients in a busy office practice. One of his great joys was delivering babies and he helped to bring approximately 1,000 Kalkaska County residents into the world. Dr. Kitti had hospital privileges at Mercy Hospital in Grayling and Munson Hospital in Traverse City and was the Kalkaska County medical examiner for many years. He was a long standing member of the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Dr. Kitti was a charter member of St Paul Lutheran Church where he served as elder and congregational president. He was also a charter member of the Kalkaska Rotary Club. He enjoyed 33 years of perfect attendance at Rotary meetings and he was names a Paul, Harris Fellow by Rotary International.
Dr. Kitti was named to the Board of Directors for the Cadillac State Bank and he served on the Kalkaska School Board for 12 years. In 1976, he was named the Kalkaska County Citizen of the Year. After retiring in 1982, he served on the North Country Hospice Board and the Antrim Kalkaska Community Mental Health Board. He continued serving on these boards until he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in 2000.
In his spare time, Bill earned his ham radio license (N8HBU), was an avid reader and also enjoyed gardening, photography, ice skating, skiing, sailing, playing golf, and making the family Christmas Cards every year. Lovingly known as "poppa" to his grandchildren, he spend as much time as possible with his family and enjoyed reading to his grandchildren, playing catch with them and playing hockey with them on their backyard ice rink. He especially loved to watch his grandchildren play sports.
Despite his struggle with Alzheimer's, Bill continued to recognize his family until his death and he is survived by the love of his life and his wife of 60 years, Ellen; two daughters, Maryellen (Jack) Abell of Austintown, OH and Susan (Gary) Guy of Kalkaska; five grandchildren, Erik (Becky) Abell of Springfield, MA, Mark Abell of Charlotte, NC, and Jeff, Daniel, and Kelly Guy of Kalkaska; a sister, Alice Frimodig of Laurium, MI and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and an infant daughter, Karen.
Visitation was held at Wolfe-O'Neill Funeral Home on Sun, Sep 10, 2006. Funeral services were held at St Paul Lutheran Church on Mon, Sep 11, 2006. Interment was at the Evergreen Cemetery in Kalkaska.
