Douglas G. Ming

MING, Douglas G. Died October 26, 2026. Age 74. Doug was born in 1951 to Wendell and Doris Ming on All Saints Day – a fact he never let us forget. He took pride in his Clawson, MI roots and loved to tell the tale of his legendary senior prank: stealing rival, Royal Oak Kimball's school rock. He met and fell in love with Kathleen Cromar at Trinity Lutheran Church, and they married 7 years later on June 25, 1976. Throughout their marriage, their church homes were a central part of their life together – first at Cross Lutheran Church, where Doug taught Sunday School, served as volunteer usher and reader, and played on the softball team; and most recently, at King of Kings Lutheran Church. Travel was also an important part of their life together, including his favorite trip to Hawaii, annual trips to Gulf Shores for spring break and, later in life, annual trips to Mexico with the entire family. After earning his degree in Elementary Education from Oakland University, Doug spent 36 years as a upper elementary teacher in Utica Community Schools. He took great pride in challenging his students to be creative thinkers and enjoyed active learning opportunities like building a class igloo in the snow for science or weeklong class trips to outdoor camp. Students in Doug’s class often remember the 9-foot loft he built in his classroom, which they would take turns using for silent reading time. In his free time, Doug enjoyed golf, riding his motorcycle, and classic car shows. He never passed up key lime pie, hibachi, or a DQ Blizzard. He deeply loved animals, especially his dogs, Izzy and Keely. He had a big personality and sharp wit. He loved to make people laugh and never backed down from a good debate. His family often joked that arguing was his love language. He was a deeply committed and fun dad, who did magic tricks with socks when Amanda and Krysta were little, served dessert for dinner when mom was away, and coached their soccer teams for several years. He was an equally dedicated and proud grandpa, cheering on his grandkids at sports and school events and often serving as a second set of hands or back-up babysitter. Doug believed strongly in contributing to causes that were important to him, including homelessness and wildlife conservation. To honor his memory, memorial contributions can be made to The Wave Project, www.waveproject.org/, a nonprofit that provides shelter, mobile showers, and essentials to people experiencing homelessness in metro Detroit, or to World Wildlife Fund, www.wwf.org/, a nonprofit working to reverse nature loss and conserve biodiversity. He was the beloved husband of Kathy for 50 years. Proud father of Amanda (Tobias) Bosherz and Krysta (Thomas) Silveri. Cherished grandpa of Giuliana, Benjamin, Thomas, Connor and Sofia. Dear brother of Wendy (Dennis) Hinz and Kenneth (Stephanie). He was preceded in death by his parents Wendell and Doris Ming. A memorial visitation will be held Thursday, October 29, 2026 from 3-8pm at Wujek - Calcaterra & Sons Inc., (Shelby) 54880 Van Dyke at 25 Mile Rd. A celebration of life will be held on Friday, October 30, 2026 at 11am at King of Kings Lutheran Church, 47500 Schoenherr Rd, Shelby Township, MI 48315, with a luncheon immediately following at the Italian American Cultural Center, 43843 Romeo Plank Rd, Clinton Township, MI 48038. Please share memories with the family at their "On - Line Guestbook" at WujekCalcaterra.com

Douglas G. Ming

November 1, 1951 - October 26, 2026