William A. Groening Jr., 95, of Delray Beach, Florida, a native of Saginaw and formerly of Midland, passed away on October 3, 2008, at Bethesda Memorial Hospital in Boynton Beach, FL.

He was born in Saginaw on November 20, 1912, to William A. and Rose (Egloff) Groening. A graduate of the University of Michigan with A.B. and J.D. degrees, he joined the Legal Department of The Dow Chemical Company in 1937. He was promoted to Assistant General Counsel in 1951 and to General Counsel in 1968. He was elected a corporate Vice President in 1971 and to the Company's Finance Committee in 1972. He also served as Director and Corporate Secretary of Dow Corning Corporation from 1961 to 1977, when he retired from Dow.

William married Virginia Jane Gann, of Midland, in 1940. They moved Delray Beach in 1989 and Virginia died in 1990. In 1991 William married Haven Johnstone Blake, of Delray Beach. She survives him.

Active in civic affairs, Groening was the last surviving member of the Midland Charter Commission, which in 1944 drafted Midland's present city charter. From 1946 to 1952 he was a member of the City Council and from 1950 to 1952 he was Mayor of Midland.

Actively interested in higher education, in 1955 he was named to the Committee of 300, whose deliberations led to the establishment of Delta College. As a member of the Committee's subcommittee on legal matters he drafted the state law which made it possible for the Counties of Midland, Saginaw and Bay to join together in establishing the Delta College District. In 1963 he was named the first Chairman of the Board of Saginaw Valley College, which is now known as Saginaw Valley State University. He retired from the College Board in 1973. Later he served many years as a Director and Chairmen of the College's Foundation. He was an Honorary Director at the time of his death. In recognition of his services William was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 1974. In 1997 the Groening Commons was dedicated in his honor. He was active in the University of Michigan Law School Fund for twenty years, serving as National Chairman from 1979 to 1981.

He was a member of the Midland County Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan, the American Bar Association, the Rotary Club of Midland and the Saginaw Valley Torch Club. From 1976 to 1983 he was a Director of the American Judicature Society, serving also as Vice President, Secretary and a member of the Executive Committee.

Active in Catholic Church affairs, he was a Director of Catholic Family Services of the Diocese of Saginaw and a Director and President of its Midland Area Board. For nineteen years he served first as Vice Chairman and then as Chairman of the Lay Employees Retirement Plan for the Michigan Catholic Conference.

In addition to his wife, Haven, he is survived by daughters, Mary R. Flores, of Buckholts TX, Janet R. Marsh, of Lapeer and Phyllis L. (Richard) Beehr, of Midland; sons, William A. (Edna) Groening, of RuckersvilleVA and Theodore J. (Kathryn) Groening, of Midland; granddaughters, Kathryn L. Flores, of Abilene TX, Ruth E. Keene, of Kingwood TX, Cynthia R. Kirschenmann, of Waukesha WI, Elizabeth J. Tisdale of Angleton TX, Eleni M. Marsh, of Cicero IL, and Rosemary C. Rogers and Cynthia L. Beehr, both of Midland; grandsons Christopher J. Groening, of Columbia MO, Stephen F. Groening, of Minneapolis MN, Peter A. Groening, of Scottsville NY, Charles R. Beehr of Tuscon AZ, Jonathan R. Groening, Benjamin W. Groening, and Patrick A. Groening all of Midland; seven great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Funeral Services will be held in Midland, Michigan.
Please contact:
Ware Smith Woolever Funeral Home
Midland, Michigan
(989)631-2292 for service information.