Ervin Ignash

Funeral Information

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, March 7, 2014 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Bad Axe with Fr. Robert Howe officiating. Visitation will take place Thursday, March 6, 2014 from 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. with scripture services at 7:00 p.m. followed by rosary at MacAlpine Funeral Home, Bad Axe and Friday at 10:00 a.m. until time of service at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be offered to the Ervin R. Ignash Scholarship Fund of The Huron County Community Foundation, 1160 S. Van Dyke Rd. Bad Axe, MI 48413 or call (989) 269-2850 to support annual scholarships for Bad Axe High School students who continue to college. Condolences may be shared at www.macalpinefuneralhome.com.

Family of the Deceased

Mr. Ignash is survived by his wife, Audrey and three children, Jan Ignash (David Baird) of Tallahassee, Florida; Kim Ignash (Cindie), of Bath, Michigan; Chris Ignash (Rosemarie), of DeWitt, Michigan; four grandchildren, Sausha (Kirk) Tews of Midland; Dustin (Becky) Ignash of Traverse City; Jack Ignash of DeWitt, and Laura Baird of Seattle, Washington; two brothers, Eugene (Virginia) Ignash of Bad Axe and Arnold (Delphine) Ignash of Bad Axe; two sisters, Theresa Duda of Clinton Township and Joann Kalka of Troy and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by brothers, Carl, George (Louise), Ben (Virginia), and Donald Ignash; two sisters, Viola (Floyd) Brzezinsky and Edna (Fred) Weiss.

Biography

Ervin R. Ignash, 85, resident of Bad Axe, passed away peacefully at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Michigan on Tuesday, March 4, 2014, surrounded by loved ones. He was born on July 14, 1928, in Kinde, Michigan, one of eleven children born to Louis and Agnes (Matelski) Ignash. At the age of 16, he enrolled in Central Michigan University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in Education, later followed by an Ed.S. Graduate degree in Educational Administration from the University of Michigan. On July 27, 1951, he and Audrey Schefka were married at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Parisville, Michigan. In addition to his family and his faith, he had two other passions in life: education and roses. Mr. Ignash served as teacher, coach and principal of Bad Axe High School for forty years. He was proud of the fact that he not only could remember students’ names from many years past, but also that, by the time he retired in 1988, he had known generations of students within the school. He was always delighted when, years later, former students would drop by his home to say “Hi,” sometimes with their own children in tow. His other passion was growing roses. When his garden was at its fullest, he had 500 rose bushes, as well as numerous perennials, shrubs, and trees. He was a member of the Thumb Area Rose Society for several decades, serving as its President and Secretary, as well as a member of the Tri-Cities Rose Society, a Consulting Rosarian, and a horticultural judge in the Great Lakes District of the American Rose Society. In 2011, he became an Emeritus Judge and was awarded the Medal of Service.

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