Dwight Edward Spiegelberg

With a welcoming smile and an infectious laugh, Dwight Edward Spiegelberg lived a wholehearted life. A man who never knew a stranger, Dwight welcomed each person as a friend and every moment as a gift. Dwight relished in the delights of family and friends, hard work, and the outdoors. Humble and kind, Dwight freely gave of his time and talents in service of others, often inspiring a much-needed laugh in the face of life's challenges. Revered by many, Dwight will long be remembered and ever so missed. 1963 was a year of many changes. As the Civil Rights movement gathered momentum, the nation continued to invest in its goal of putting a man on the moon. American homes were filled with the sounds of the Beatles and the sense of loyalty inspired by its favorite dog, Lassie. Nowhere was there more hope for the future than in the Dexter, Michigan home of Ronald and Dorothy (Ruhlig) Spiegelberg, as they welcomed their son Dwight on February 19. The youngest of the six Spiegelberg kids, Dwight grew up in an active and loving home. Along with his siblings, Gary, Wayne, Loraine, Darold, and Kevin, were raised by hardworking parents who instilled strong family values. The family moved to Vicksburg in 1972, where they worked a dairy farm. While Dwight's father ran the farm, his mother ran the home. Like most farm kids, Dwight had his fair share of farm chores; he was never afraid of hard work or getting his hands dirty. He was enormously proud to grow up in farming and the community that comes with it. He appreciated the values and lessons farming afforded him to learn. He also enjoyed helping his mother in the kitchen, cooking big meals for their large family. Dwight attended the local schools and proudly graduated with the Vicksburg High School's class of 1981. A student who preferred hands-on learning to book-study, Dwight especially enjoyed his participation in Future Farmers of America (FFA) and Shop class. In 1999, Dwight had the good fortune of meeting his beloved, Leeann Thornton. When Dwight learned that Leeann liked to snowmobile, he asked her to take a ride with him. Little did they know that the ride would be the beginning of their 21-year adventure together. On September 21, 2002, the happy couple married. The wedding celebration was a great party, and fun was had by all. Over the course of their marriage, Dwight and Leeann rode normal ups and downs that go along with a long-term relationship. The last year was especially challenging, as their home burned last December, and they had to live in temporary housing while they rebuilt. Three weeks ago, they finally moved into their new home. Dwight was so proud of the new house and excited about the things that he and Leeann had so carefully chosen to create the sanctuary they wanted. Dwight's family was very important to him. He loved spending time with his nieces and nephews and felt blessed to get to spend a lot of time with them as they were growing up. He was close to his many, many cousins and especially enjoyed gathering at annual Ruhlig family reunions where as many as 100 members were in attendance. In addition to his close relationships with the Spiegelberg and Ruhlig clans, Dwight had a close network of lifelong friends that he loved to spend time with whenever possible. Rarely one to sit idle for long, Dwight had many interests. For the last few years, he has worked for H & H Farms. Though hard work, he loved being a part of the farming community again. It felt like being back home for him. Dwight also loved fishing, snowmobiling, cooking, and working on projects around the house. When time allowed, he enjoyed traveling. He and Leeann enjoyed some great trips to New Orleans, Cancun, the Bahamas, and most recently to New York City. He was also blessed to go on an annual fishing trip to Canada with the guys. Dwight E. Spiegelberg, of Vicksburg, passed away on Thursday, October 29, 2020, at the age of 57. Dwight is survived by his beloved wife, Leeann; his siblings, Wayne (Deb) Spiegelberg of Vicksburg, Loraine (Vern) Lewis of Vicksburg and Kevin (Jill) Spiegelberg of Plainwell; as well as many treasured nieces and nephews. Dwight was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Gary and Darold; and his sister-in-law, Stacey. The family will receive friends on Friday from 4 to 7 pm, at the McCowen & Secord Funeral Home, Rupert-Durham Chapel, 409 South Main, Vicksburg, MI. A private family service will be held on Saturday. While at www.mccowensecord.com, please take the time to sign Dwight's guestbook by lighting a candle and/or sharing a memory with the family. The family is being assisted by the McCowen & Secord Funeral Home, Rupert-Durham Chapel, 409 South Main, Vicksburg, MI 49097 (269) 649-1697. ***While at the funeral home please take proper COVID precautions by wearing a mask and maintaining social distance. If attendance surpasses facility restrictions by the State of Michigan guidelines, you may be asked to wait before entering the building. Thank you for your understanding.