ECONOMIST AND EDUCATOR, DR. CHRISTINE GRAM PASSED AWAY

Dr. Christine Elise Gram was born on December 29, 1924, in Detroit, Michigan, and passed away peacefully at her home in Farmington Hills, MI, on February 11, 2016, surrounded by family. She was 91. She married Henry Gram (deceased), a business professor, in 1970 and was happily married for 24 years.
An economist and educator, Dr. Gram received her AB ('48), MA ('63), and PhD ('71) from the University of Michigan. In the 1950s and 1960s, she co-founded Farmington Automatic Laundry and Homestead House furniture store with her first husband, Bob Harris (deceased). She had six children and 15 grandchildren. She managed to make it all work.
Dr. Gram was President of Oakland Community College, Auburn Hills Campus, from 1986-1994. It is the largest community college in Michigan and one of the largest in the U.S. At the time she was President only 1% of community college presidents were women. She began at OCC as an economics instructor in 1965, and later became Chair of the Political Science Department (1971-79), Faculty Union President (1968-69 & 1976-78), Academic Dean (1979-84), Provost (1984-86), and then President of the College (1986). She liked to say that she had served on both sides of faculty negotiations as the Faculty Union President and the college President. Since her master's thesis in economics was on collective bargaining, she had the knowledge to lead both sides, even when the Faculty Union went out on strike! While at Auburn Hills, she was instrumental in bringing IBM's robotics center to OCC, one of only two colleges in the nation to be chosen by IBM to receive their first robotic centers.
A natural leader, she had the gift of making those around her do and feel better. She always gave her best to whatever she did and expected and got the best from those around her. While President of OCC, Dr. Gram also served as President of the North Central Association (1987-88), which then provided accreditation to over 6,300 high schools and colleges in a 19 state region. In addition she served on committees and boards in the Farmington community and in other national organizations.
One of the three Groefsema sisters, her older sisters were Judge Margaret Schaeffer (deceased) of the Farmington Hills District Court and Judge Cornelia Kennedy (deceased) of Grosse Pointe Woods, MI, Senior Judge on the US Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit. They were the daughters of Elmer Groefsema, a prominent trial attorney in Detroit, and Mary Blanche (Gibbons) Groefsema, a teacher and student who was attending University of Michigan Law School when she passed away. Chris was only seven at the time of her Mother's death. Her father raised his daughters to believe that anything was possible if you worked hard and applied yourself. It began with each of them being chosen as the Outstanding Senior at Redford High School, each graduating from University of Michigan with advanced degrees, each raising a family, and each having a career that at the time was seldom open to women. Even though her Father died when she was 27, his early lessons served her well the rest of her life.
In 1955 she and her sisters subdivided most of their father's farm into "Pleasant Valley Farms" at Drake and Eleven Mile roads in Farmington Hills. In 1992 the last piece of the family farm was subdivided with her sisters and her sons, Bob, Jim, and David Harris to form the "Trillium" subdivision.
Chris was an avid sports fan, very fond of her Tigers, Lions, Red Wings, and Pistons, and especially her Michigan Wolverines. Traveling was very special to her. She went everywhere and was always ready to go, having visited all 50 states in the US, all but one province in Canada, all seven continents, and over 70 countries.
She had six children: Bob Harris (Bridgette) of South Lyon, MI, Jeanne Harris (Robert Groth) of Thornton, CO, John Harris (Holly Barrie, deceased) of Plymouth, MI, Jim Harris (Cindy) of Brighton, MI, David Harris of Milford, MI, and Greg Harris (April) of Highland, MI, and two stepchildren, Peter Gram (Harriet) of Pensacola, FL, and Steven Gram (deceased) (Cheri) of Dallas, TX. Chris had 15 grandchildren: Robert and Beth Anne Harris of Akron, MI, David Groth of Denver, CO, Jennifer and Heather Harris of Brighton, MI, Christine Harris of Indianapolis, IN, Kenneth Harris of Milford, MI, Christopher (deceased), CarolAnne, Laura, Suzanne, and Trisha Harris of Highland, MI, Kiki Gram of Seattle, WA, Lindsay Gram Rothe of Pensacola, FL, and Heather Gram-Chavez of Richardson, TX. She was also especially close to her ten nieces and nephews and enjoyed their many times together. The family wishes to thank her wonderful caregivers, especially Lee and Linda, who helped make her life the best it could be the past four years.
She was truly an amazing woman with a beautiful smile for everyone she met! She was brave, strong, curious, and loving. She will be missed by many and especially her family. A Celebration of Her Life will take place on April 16th, 2016, at the First Presbyterian Church of Farmington, 26165 Farmington Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334. Visitation will be at 10:00 am with the Service at 11:00 am followed by lunch at the Church Fellowship Hall. Inurnment will be in the Cope Garden at the Church.
Contributions may be given in her name to: Special Olympics Michigan, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI, 48859, website: SOMI.org, First Presbyterian Church of Farmington (address above), or a charity of your choice. www.Thayer-Rock.com