April 3, 1962 – October 19, 1989
Daniel Patrick “Danny” Lightcap was born in Pontiac and was active in the drama club at Pontiac Northern High School, where he graduated with the class of 1980. Lightcap worked a waiter at the Woodward Lounge in Detroit and at the time of his passing was pursuing a B.A. in creative writing at Wayne State. He died from AIDS-related complications at age 27.
February 3, 1962 – January 7, 2019
Barbara Faye Gessell was born in and spent much of her life in Ohio and held a J.D. and Bachelor’s in business administration. Her long career in human resources included managerial positions at Mercy Health Network, Toledo Edison, and the Toledo Blade. After she was diagnosed with cancer in 2016, Gessell retired to Saugatuck with her wife Jennifer Roe.
January 9, 1962 – November 7, 1995
Actor, director, playwright, and Grand Rapids native Michael Gerard Barto of Chicago earned his B.A. in theater at the University of Michigan-Flint. In 1987, while pursuing his M.F.A. at the University of Iowa, Barto directed and co-wrote The Wizard of AIDS, which was performed more than 700 times over seven years throughout the Midwest. He died from AIDS-related complications at age 33.
June 9, 1962 – June 29, 2016
Redford pharmacist Darnell Demorris Jones was as an advocate and activist for transgender people in transition. He served as vice president of the Gender Identity Network Alliance and co-founded the group Transcend the Binary. For his outreach work, Jones received the Outstanding Ally Award from Affirmations in 2014.
June 11, 1962 – June 25, 2019
Saginaw native Patricia “Pat” Ann Lawrence-Smith, also known as Patricia Smith, worked as an emergency medical technician in Genesee County and resided for 25 years in Davison. She and her partner Lauriejane Smith were united in marriage in September 2015.
May 17, 1962 – January 26, 1995
Born in Ann Arbor, David Bruce Goff grew up in South Lyon and graduated from Manchester High School in 1980 before joining the U.S. Navy. He later worked as a mechanic and apartment manager. He also volunteered with Wellness Networks and was active in the Detroit area leather community. Goff was preceded in death by his lover Rudy Sepulvada. He died from AIDS-related complications at age 32.
July 18, 1962 – December 5, 2018
Deborah Jo “Debbie” Goodnough was born in Escanaba and resided in Clyde Township. She married her longtime partner Angela Sarazin in Port Huron in 2016. Goodnough worked at Subway and was a devoted fan of the New York Yankees.
February 27, 1962 – January 6, 2014
Birmingham resident Todd Glenn Lloyd was born in Mount Pleasant and graduated from Clare High School. He owned and operated the rental company Chair Covers & Linens in Madison Heights. Lloyd and his partner of 10 years Christopher Neumann perished in a single-engine plane crash.
September 17, 1962 – March 23, 2014
Kathryn Elizabeth Norris graduated from Charlotte High School, studied management science at the University of Maryland, served in the U.S. Army from 1983 to 1987, and from 1988 to 2006 operated several Mancino’s outlets in Lansing. She later moved to Chicago, where she came to share her life with her partner Vivian Shelton.
January 28, 1962 – December 6, 2017
Jean Feimster of Whitehall and formerly of Lansing graduated high school in 1979 from Flint School of Choice and earned her Bachelor of Science in Social Work in 1989 from the University of Michigan-Flint. She was later employed as Director of Social Services at Hazel Findlay Country Manor in St. Johns. Feimster was an avid Harley rider.
Michigan LGBTQ Remember 