Longtime Genoa Township, fire authority official Jim Mortensen has died
GENOA TWP. — Longtime former Genoa Township Trustee Jim Mortensen has died and will be laid to rest with full military honors Friday, Dec. 1.
Mortensen died Monday, Nov. 27 at 89, according to an obituary emailed to The Daily by his daughter MariAnn Apley.
"His legacy is marked by decades of unwavering commitment to community welfare and public service," according to the family.
After working in finance at Ford Motor Co. for 32 years, Mortensen got involved with volunteering and politics.
He volunteered with the Livingston County United Way, which awarded him a lifetime achievement award in 2005.
He was serving his fifth consecutive four-year term as a township trustee before resigning in September 2023. He had also served on the township planning commission since 1996.
He also served for 22 years on the Brighton Area Fire Authority Board. The fire authority recognized his service with a proclamation in his honor in May 2022.
"Despite his determination, prolonged illness led him to resign from the Genoa Board of Trustees in September 2023," according to the family's release. "He believed his inability to attend meetings was a disservice to the citizens he aimed to represent."
Brighton Area Fire Chief Michael O'Brian wrote in an email that Mortensen was a "true dedicated steward to supporting our firefighters."
"Jim always provided strong leadership and was a true professional during his tenure on the board," O'Brian wrote. "Jim provided sound advice on many matters affecting the Authority and always would lend a hand with many of our financial projects with the Authority. We have missed seeing Jim serve on the board and his friendship and support will be missed."
Genoa Township Supervisor Bill Rogers said Mortensen was "phenomenal" at providing insight into township budget matters.
"The son of a gun was a numbers cruncher," Rogers said. "When we were dealing with budgets or anything budget related, you could count on him checking and rechecking, and you could also ask him questions."
Mortensen was born in 1934 and raised in Iron Mountain.
"At a young age, Jim taught himself ventriloquism and began entering and winning talent competitions," his family said. "He regularly corresponded with the famous ventriloquist Edgar Begen, who eventually purchased two of Jim's first dummies. These dummies and his favorite dummy, Barney O’Shay, are now on display at the Vent Haven Museum in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. He kept up his interest in ventriloquism throughout the years by entertaining his family on special occasions and traveling with his two grandsons to attend the Vent Haven International Ventriloquist Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio."
While attending Michigan State University, he performed with Barney and toured as an opening act for the MSU Glee Club.
"In the summers, he showcased his talents at the Gateway Hotel in Land O’Lakes, Wisconsin, mingling with notable figures like Bob Hope and Senator Joseph McCarthy," the family said. "Additionally, he offered private ventriloquist lessons and classes, which enabled him to save enough to purchase an engagement ring."
He and his late wife Mariel married in 1958 and had three children and six grandchildren.
He was also a veteran of the U.S. Army and Air National Guard reservist. He served as a 2nd Lieutenant for eight years after graduating college.
The couple moved to Plymouth and he started working for Ford and pursued an MBA from the University of Detroit Mercy at night.
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A visitation will be held 11 a.m.-noon Friday, Dec. 1 at Lynch and Sons Funeral Director, at 600 E. Main Street in Brighton, with the funeral at 12 pm. There will be a reception immediately following at Lakelands Country Club. A private burial with full military honors is set for 3:30 p.m. at Chilson Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made instead to the Livingston County First Responders Benevolent Fund, care of Rick Boisvert, Brighton Fire Department, 615 W. Grand River Ave., Brighton, MI 48116.
— Contact reporter Jennifer Eberbach at jeberbach@livingstondaily.com.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Longtime Genoa Twp., fire authority official Jim Mortensen has died
