Orvin Frederick Roholff, 89

Orvin Frederick Rohloff, age 89, of Hamburg Township, Michigan, passed peacefully on May 3rd, 2025. He was born November 7, 1935, in Berlin Township, St. Clair County, Michigan, the son of Orval A. Rohloff and Alada Isabell (Schonemon) Rohloff.

Orvin grew up on his family’s farm, attending grade school at Gould School, a one-room country school near Allenton, and high school at Capac High School. He served in the United States Army, spending time stationed in Germany and earning the National Defense Service Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal (Germany), and the Good Conduct Medal.

After returning home, Orvin pursued a career in the commercial trucking industry as a professional semi driver for Central Transport for over 43 years. He lived and raised his family in St. Clair Shores for 27 years, until his retirement in 1996. He enjoyed boating around the Great Lakes with trips to Strawberry Island, Walpole Island, BobLo Island, Put-in-Bay, Cedar Point, the Soo Locks and Frankfort. He valued traveling to see his extended family in Kansas. He loved deer hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, water skiing, and canoeing with his family up north in Traverse City. Orvin married his true love and life partner, Mary Jean Ligon, on March 22, 1997. They had a full and active life together, celebrating their 28th anniversary just last month.

Upon their marriage, Orvin and Jean moved to the Pinckney, MI, countryside. Their property backed up to the Brighton Recreation Area and its miles of horse trails. Orvin, being an animal lover and natural engineer, on his own and by himself, built a fine 6-stall horse barn, an equipment storage building, white-rail-fenced paddocks, and cross-fenced horse pastures.

He loved animals of all kinds, so the farm soon accumulated a colorful menagerie of horses, peacocks, Guinea fowl, two gentleman geese, a pair of chickens, and, of course, the usual contingency of dogs and cats. Finally, with the addition of a blue-and-gold macaw named Ginger, who ruled the roost inside the house, Orvin’s home was complete.

In addition to Orvin’s farm activity, he and Jean were active in the Michigan Horse Council, and Orvin served as the barn manager of its annual Horse Expo for years. He was also a founding member of the Brighton Trail Riders Association, with whom they rode the many miles of adjacent Rec Area trails. With his BTRA friends, and additionally oftentimes by himself, Orvin worked tirelessly maintaining and improving them. Over the years, he earned the trust of the State’s trail managers to the extent that he became the one non-staff person who had unfettered maintenance access to those trails.

He is survived by his wife, Jean, and their collective children: Jeff (Tina) Rohloff, Heidi Rohloff, Brad Campbell, Mary (Douglas) McNabb, and Andrea (Steve) Zamansky; grandchildren Karl Rohloff, Kristen Rohloff, Kurt Rohloff, Anthony Frederick Rohloff, Emily Anne Kalinowski, Zachary Arthur Kalinowski, Stephanie Isabell Kalinowski, Matthew Paul Kalinowski, Douglas Dawson (Fanny) McNabb, Maggie McNabb and Emma Zamansky; and great-grandson Cole Wilson.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, May 8, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the West Berlin United Methodist Church (905 Holmes Rd., Allenton, MI 48002), with the funeral service and burial to be held immediately following at 11:00 a.m. at the same location, and a luncheon afterwards. All are invited to attend and celebrate Orvin’s life, legacy and great love for all of God’s creatures.

Orvin was well-known for his love of animals, especially horses. Memorial donations may be made to Horses’ Haven, P.O. Box 166, Howell, MI 48844 (web: www.horseshaven.org), or any other animal rescue that is close to your own heart.

Arrangements were entrusted to Muir Brothers Funeral Home in Almont.