Obituary of Louis Bitto

Louis "Lou" Henry Bitto III was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on October 16, 1944. He was the only child born from the union of the late Louis Henry Bitto Jr. and the late Peryl (Young) Wieten. Lou married the former Judith Ann Loeffler on November 11, 1966. He supported his family as a pipe fitter with the UAW for sixteen years, retiring in 1984. Not ready to settle down just yet, he owned and operated the Archery-Rama pro shop in Monroe for thirteen years retiring once again at the age of 60. Lou wore his emotions on his sleeve; he was direct, but honest and always spoke his mind. He will always be remembered for his great stories, never leaving any details undone. Lou cherished the time he spent with his family, especially his grandchildren. Lou was considered a great outdoorsman as an avid hunter and fisherman. He loved to camp and travel and among his endeavors, he enjoyed gold prospecting. Lou loved to take his boat out on the lake, but most of all he had a passion for the game of golf. As a Snow Bird, he appreciated walking the ocean beaches and gazing at sunsets. In his quiet time, Lou could be found watching his favorite sport of golf or an old western movie. Louis Henry Bitto III, age 70 of Monroe, passed away on Thursday, October 8, 2015 at his home surrounded by his loving family. In addition to his parents, his passing was preceded by his wife of forty years, Judith (2006); and a daughter: Sheryl Lynn Dauterman (2015). To cherish his memory, Lou leaves his Faithful Love of five years, Joann Bush of Brownstown; his three children: Terry Woods Sr. of Ada, Louis Henry (Destiny) Bitto IV of Harrison Township, Brian Michael (Michelle) Bitto of San Diego, CA; one son-in-law: Devin Dauterman, of Bowling Green, OH; and six grandchildren: Alexus, Terry Jr., Paige, Kiauna, Erica, and Marcus. Friends may gather on Sunday, October 11 from 2:00pm until 8:00pm at Merkle Funeral Service 2442 North Monroe Street (734) 384-5185. A Celebration of His Life will take place at 11:00am on Monday, October 12, 2015, also at Merkle's with Pastor Mark E. Ralph of Mt. Zion United Brethren Church officiating. Procession will follow to St. Joseph Cemetery in Monroe for burial. Online guests may leave words of comfort and inspiration by visiting www.merklefs.com and then selecting the Online Tributes page.