SAUGATUCK, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – A long-time champion of the Lakeshore and its environment is gone.
Patty Birkholz, who began as a local official in Saugatuck Township, spent 14 total years in the state Legislature as a House Representative and Senator through 2010, and was a top official with the Office of the Great Lakes and the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, succumbed to cancer on Thursday at the age of 74. In her last interview with WHTC News five years ago, Senator Birkholz expressed what may be considered to be the legacy she wanted to leave behind. “We’re the Great Lakes and the rivers and streams,” she explained. “We can’t let them be desecrated by anybody for any reason. We need to stand up and say that they’re important to us, they’re important and critical to our economy in Michigan. They’re critical to our way of life, and they’re the reason we all choose to live here.”
According to the Dykstra Saugatuck Chapel, who is handling the funeral arrangements, the family will hold a private family service for Senator Birkholz. An announcement regarding a Celebration of Life service will be made at a future date. Donations to the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance, Ox-Bow Artists in Residence or the Outdoor Discovery Center can be made in remembrance of Senator Birkholz.
