August 6, 1929 – December 26, 2009
Rene Delos Amaya earned his A.B. at Adrian College in 1951 and his Masters from the University of Michigan in 1959. He worked as a librarian at the Detroit Public Library, Oakland Community College, and the Los Angeles Public Library. As a resident of Boston-Edison in the 1970s, Amaya pressed Detroit to redefine family in its zoning ordinance. He was survived by his partner of 45 years John C. Lodge.
August 17, 1915 – December 27, 1977
Harold James “Buddy” Bigham grew up in Royal Oak and had a long career as a photographer in the research department of General Motors. A homeowner in Detroit’s Boston-Edison neighborhood, Bigham was a familiar patron for many years at the Diplomat, Bookie’s Club 870, and other local gay bars.
Detroit Free Press, December 28, 1977
August 2, 1964 – February 11, 2000
Syracuse, New York native Donald Schroeder attended college in Pennsylvania before moving to Michigan to write for Car & Driver magazine. He was active in the Lambda Car Club and also served as vice president of the AIDS fundraising organization Geared 4 Life. Schroeder and his life partner of seven years Michael Vaughn shared a home in Detroit’s historic Boston-Edison neighborhood.
Michigan LGBTQ Remember 