Thomas Patrick McCourt

Dr. Thomas Patrick Mc Court, 78, of Benton Harbor, died Wednesday, May 25, 2005, at Lakeland Hospital. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:00 A.M. Saturday, May 28, at St. Bernards Catholic Church, 555 Delaware, in Benton Harbor with Fr. William Jacobs officiating. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery. Friends may call Friday from 6:00-8:00 P.M. at the Kerley-Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Road, St. Joseph, with the Rosary being recited at 8:00 P.M. Memorials may be made either to Birthright or to Lake Michigan Catholic Schools. Those wishing to share a memory or sign the guest book online my do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Tom was born April 20, 1927 in Detroit, as Richard Carol Walsh. He was adopted on October 30, 1927 in Grand Rapids to Vincent and Helen McCourt. He lived most of his life in Michigan attending both St. Michaels and St. Matthews Catholic Schools in Flint. On December 29, 1956 he married Rose Ellen Patton at St. Mary?s Cathedral in Bismark, ND. To this union was born 2 sons and 4 daughters. Tom worked for the Flint Journal from 1943 to 1947 with time spent in the U. S. Navy during 1945-1946. He was employed at the Buick Motor Division in the Personnel Department from 1947 to 1957. He came to the Twin Cities in 1960 as a counselor and teacher at Fairplain Jr. High School remaining in that position until 1963. He then attended Boston University during the 1963-1964 academic year before returning to the area to work for Lake Michigan College for the next 25 years as a counselor/teacher and registrar. Tom earned degrees from Flint Junior College (A.A.), Northern Colorado University (B.A. and M.A.), and Western Michigan University (Ed. D.). Tom is survived by his wife of 48 years, Rose Ellen; 2 sons – Tim of St. Joseph, and Pat (Dorinda) of Bloomfield Heights, MI; 4 daughters ? Kathleen McCourt of Benton Harbor, Mary (Dave) Waaso of South Haven, Colleen (Chris) Hanner of Mesa, AZ, and Maureen (Scott) McRae of Stevensville; 15 grandchildren – Andrew, Skyler, Kale, Brodie and Peyton Wasso, Margaret McCourt, Jacob and Sarah Durham, Kandess and Brandon Hanner, Jameson, Haley, and Kelly Mc Rae, Amanda Dobrzykowski and Amber Tesine. He was looking forward to another grandson in July. Tom was preceded in death by his parents ? Vincent and Helen McCourt.