John E. Burnell

John passed away Thursday, December 15, 2022 at McLaren Bay Region at the age of 80 years. He was born in Saginaw, Michigan on December 17, 1941 to the late John and Eleanor (Basse) Burnell. On November 11, 1977, he married the former Debra Lynn Bellnap, and she preceded him in death on September 2, 2013. John proudly served his country in the United States Navy. He worked and retired from General Motors and was a member of AA with over 50 years sobriety. In his spare time, he enjoyed going to the movies, playing bingo, fishing and volunteering for hospice.
John is survived by his children, Kevin (Kim) Burnell, Thomas Burnell, Jennifer (Cory) Dabrowski and Phillip Burnell; grandchildren, Alison, Brianna, Yannis, Taylor, Carson and Maddison; nephew and nieces, Brian, Debbie and Brenda. In addition to his parents and wife, he was also preceded in death by his brother, Robert Burnell, and grandson, Kaplan Burnell.
Funeral service will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, December 19, 2022 at the Gephart Funeral Home, Inc. Officiating will be Pastor Terry Murdock with cremation to follow the service. Friends and family may visit at the Gephart Funeral Home on Monday from 11:00 a.m. until the time of the service. Contributions may be made to the wishes of the family. For online condolences, visit www.gephartfuneralhome.com