Michael Cherry was born September 19, 1943 and lived a long, fruitful, and joyous life before passing away at his home October 18, 2025.
A memorial gathering will be held Tuesday, October 28, 2025 from 3:00-6:00 p.m. at Dutcher Funeral Home.
A service will be held at 4:00 p.m., with the memorial gathering continuing afterwards until 6:00 p.m. Interment will occur at a later date at Fairplains Cemetery in Grand Rapids.
As Branch County’s longest serving Circuit Judge from 1984 to 2008, Michael presided over more than 25,000 cases and carefully performed the duties of that office, while attempting to make the court not only fair but also an accommodating place for litigants, their attorneys, jurors, the press, courthouse staff, and the public. He embraced all technological advancements and was proud that his courtroom was chosen to be one of the first video courtrooms in the state.
He was selected to serve on the Executive Board of the Michigan Judges Association by his peers for nearly 20 years and was assigned to the Michigan Court of Appeals on six occasions. He somehow never missed a single day of work in 24 years despite having knee surgery and cancer treatment.
Michael was the eldest son of Howard and Lucille Cherry, born on an Air Force Base in Boise, ID, at the height of WWII as his bombardier father readied for deployment to Europe. After his father deployed, Michael lived in Grand Rapids, MI with his mother, paternal grandmother and aunt until his father returned in 1946.
The family remained in Grand Rapids as his father resumed civilian life, pursued a business career, and welcomed younger brothers Tom and Steve. In 1956, the family moved to Bay Village, Ohio, where Michael attended Bay High School, graduating in 1961, and later was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 1994.
Blessed with height and a zeal for sports, he played basketball at Bay High and for 2 years at the College of Wooster (OH), before transferring to Kent State University. Kent State is where Michael finished undergraduate school, earned a Master’s degree in English, and met his future wife, Dorothy. He earned money for college working summers on fellow Bay Village resident and family friend George Steinbrenner’s Great Lakes oar freighters and proudly maintained his membership in the Seafarers International Union for the rest of his life.
From Kent State, Michael returned to Michigan to teach English at Central Michigan University for five years, during which he married Dorothy and welcomed their first child Alissa before returning to Ohio again to study law, at the University of Toledo.
Dorothy joined Michael in law school and they began looking for a good place to settle and raise their family. In 1976 they chose the not-too-big and not-too-small town of Coldwater, Michigan. They became Public Defenders for Branch County and opened their practice – Cherry & Cherry, Attorneys at Law. They also bought 10 acres on the east side of town, where they built the house they have lived in ever after. With the arrival of son Stephen in 1977, the now-complete Cherry family was firmly planted in Coldwater.
Michael transformed a 10-acre abandoned cornfield into a tranquil oasis. He planted hundreds of trees including a fruit orchard, hardwood stands, and many exotic species. He negotiated a semi-shady deal to dig a pond, and cultivated extensive lawns and gardens, including an impressive annual vegetable garden and his specialty – ridiculously hot peppers.
Many hours, quite literally years of his life, were spent tending to the property on his Farmall, Simplicity, and Kubota tractors. He waged war against invading woodchucks, picked up tons of fallen branches/trees, and had the most epic bonfires – though one brought a Fire Department visit. After a snowstorm, he plowed out every driveway in the neighborhood.
A handy man extraordinaire, Michael could fix or build anything, or would at least try – an incredible treehouse, his barn/workshop, porch swings, and a truly excessive number of birdhouses. He always had multiple projects going. For many, Michael was the go-to guy for advice, troubleshooting, and tech support on a diverse range of subjects from home improvements and repairs of all varieties to pest control, AV equipment, computer crashes and, of course, the law. The loss of his tips, tricks, ingenuity, and thoughtful advice will be felt far and wide.
Michael coached various youth sports when his children were young, and served on the Coldwater School Board while practicing law. As Circuit Judge, he regularly attended monthly Township Supervisor meetings believing an elected judge should know his county. He was a charter supporter of the annual Duck Race for Hospice Services in Branch County and for decades purchased and pardoned animals at the annual 4-H Fair Livestock auction. He also leveraged title as Judge to officiate many weddings for nieces, nephews, neighbors, and family friends.
Michael’s competitive spirit and passion for sports endured until the very end. He played in Coldwater Recreation Adult Basketball Leagues for over 30yrs and ran in nearly every 5k, 10k, or fun run held in Branch County for over 40 years. He has the ribbons and trophies to prove it, even if some were earned by being the only entrant in his age group. He rarely missed a Detroit Tigers, Pistons or Lions game; and if you knew him, then you know he could talk for hours on end about Michigan State Basketball.
He is survived by brothers Tom (Maureen) and Steve (Ann), his wife Dorothy, their children Alissa and Stephen, daughter in-law Jaime, three delightful granddaughters – Charlotte, Shelby, and Sawyer. He followed the growth and accomplishments of not only his children and grandchildren but also his many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews – from sea to shining sea. Grandpa/Uncle/Papa Mike ALWAYS wanted to hear children, to play anything, and to share his wisdom on a variety of topics from artistic techniques to fishing, making him everyone’s favorite uncle and goodtime grandpa. He and his relentless optimism will be greatly missed.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to WKAR Public Media from Michigan State University: https://www.wkar.org/donate
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