Charles Sempere

Dr. Charles Roquet Sempere, 90, of Iron Mountain passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 15, 2012, at Golden Living Center in Florence, Wisconsin, after living a full life. He was born February 5, 1921, in Grant, Florida, to Leila Pierce, whose ancestry reached back to the first settlers of Massachusetts, and Roch Sempéré, a French immigrant from Algeria. He grew up in Keego Harbor, Michigan, where he spent his summers helping his father in the family cemetery business. After his 1939 graduation from Roosevelt High School in West Bloomfield, Michigan, he attended the University of Michigan where he earned his B.S. and then a medical degree. It was while he was attending the University of Michigan that he met the love of his life, Jean Anne Houghton. They were united February 17, 1946, and remained happily married for 53 years until her death in 1999. A member of the Army ROTC program from 1939-1943, Doc maintained the rank of private first class during World War II (1944-46) as he finished his medical studies at the U of M. He was a member of the active reserve 1946-1951. During that time he served his medical internship at Highland Park General Hospital (1946-47) and then later at Rochester General Hospital in Rochester, New York (1947-48). In 1948 he returned to Pontiac, Michigan, to accept a residency at Pontiac General Hospital. When he finished his residency in 1951, he and Jean Anne chose to remain in the area. They began their family as he opened a private practice in OB-GYN. In 1952 he was called back into service during the Korean War where he served as a captain at Fort Meade, Maryland, until 1954. After his discharge, he and his family returned to Pontiac, Michigan, where he maintained a successful private practice while serving on the active staffs of two local hospitals -- Pontiac General Hospital and St. Joseph Hospital (1953-1986). He also served on the consulting staff of Pontiac State Hospital during the same years. In addition to delivering hundreds of babies over the course of his professional career, he served in various prominent positions at Pontiac General Hospital. He was Chief of Staff (1967), Medical Director (1968-1972), and Chairman of the Department of OB-GYN (1976-1986). When he finally retired in 1986, he was beginning to deliver a third generation of babies. While his professional life was always important to him, Doc also enjoyed time with his family. He loved camping, canoeing, backpacking, snowmobiling, skiing, and golfing with them. He also loved vacationing with his family as they traveled across mainland United States, but his greatest dream was to drive to Alaska, which he and his wife did with an RV group after his retirement. He had a special place in his heart for dogs and loved walking any that would let him. Most of his neighbors remember him best with his signature blue hat on and a dog leading him down the road. He will be missed by everyone whose life he touched. Doc was preceded in death by his sister, Isabel, and wife Jean Anne. He was the head of a large family consisting of children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, all who loved him dearly. He is survived by three sons, Douglas (Claudia) Sempere of Ames, Iowa; Thomas (Susan) Sempere of San Francisco, California; and James Sempere of Larkspur, California; and a daughter, Carol (Milton) Wirth of Iron Mountain; eight grandchildren, Autumn, Danielle, Andrew, Christian, Seth, Chloe, Jenifer, and Jonathan; and four great grandchildren, Adarae, Scott, Sophia, and Oliver. Visitation will be Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Erickson-Rochon and Nash Funeral Home. Funeral services will be Friday at 11:30 a.m. at the funeral home. Rev. Peggy Paige, pastor of First United Methodist Church where he was a member, will officiate. Burial will be in Cemetery Park. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Gnu Foundation, founded by his son James, at gnufoundation.org. Condolences may be expressed to the family of Dr. Charles Sempere online at www.ernashfuneralhomes.com The family has entrusted the Erickson-Rochon & Nash Funeral Home of Iron Mountain with the funeral arrangements.

Charles Sempere

January 15, 1922 - January 15, 2012