John G. Rulison, Jr., 76, of Manistee, formerly of Suttons Bay, passed away Wednesday morning, June 27th, 2012 at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor.

He was born September 28, 1935 in Lansing, the son of the late John and Elizabeth (Fishback) Rulison. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree at Michigan State University and served in the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Forest Service. On June 21, 1961, in Coronado, California, he was united in marriage to Priscilla K. Wellman. The Rulison’s had just celebrated their 51st anniversary.

The Rulison’s moved to Manistee in the spring of 2000 from Suttons Bay, where John had served as Village President. John was a member of Manistee Elks Lodge No. 250. Since moving to Manistee he had been active with the Manistee Choral Society, Guardian Angels Chorale, Manistee City Board of Review, the Brownfield board, the DDA, Prison Ministry, the start up of the Farmer’s Market and on the steering committee at the start of the Vogue project.

John is survived by his wife, Priscilla “Tudie”, by his sons, Aaron John Rulison (ChenDan) of Los Altos, CA and Robert Wellman Rulison (Cathy Adams) of Vermontville, MI; by his daughter, Elizabeth Lucia Buck (Keith) of Grand Rapids; by grandchildren, Olivia (Chris) Nadeau, Linsey & Grace Buck, Haleigh & Cooper Adams and Emma, Quinn, Jared & Noah Rulison; by great grandchildren, Ashton & Lenore, by his sisters, Mary Margaret Kimball (James) of Phoenix, AZ and Julia Kastran of Grosse Point, MI and by a brother-in-law, Paul Phillips of Phoenix, AZ.

A memorial mass from the Order of Christian Funerals will be celebrated Friday, July 20th at 11:00 a.m. at Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Manistee, with Rev. John McCracken celebrant. Final interment will be in Mount Carmel Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the Johnson Funeral Home in Manistee on Thursday, July 19th from 4 to 6 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that those wanting to remember John consider a gift in his memory to either the Manistee Salvation Army or the Catholic Community of Manistee Music Liturgy. Also, during John’s hospitalizations he received many blood transfusions which were graciously donated, and the family would like to encourage their friends to make blood donations so that it will be available when others are in need of a transfusion.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Johnson Funeral Home of Manistee. [www.johnson-funeralhome.com]