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Amado Resendiz Gutierrez, 49, was born January 3, 1973, to the late Amado Resendiz Castillo and Emma Gutierrez de Resendiz in Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, after a long battle with Colorectal Cancer in the early morning of November 10, 2022 at his home in Allegan.
Amado grew up as the youngest of four brothers (David, Armando, Fernando) and eight sisters (Sofia, Mona, Pilar, Amada, Rocio, Angeles, Claudia, Karla), and graduated from Melchor Ocampo. He often told stories of his first job working third-shift at a bakery, where he filled donuts with various jellies, and created a lifelong aversion. After graduating, Amado began work collecting bills and verifying credit. This work felt unfulfilling to him, and he quickly decided it wasn’t what his life was meant to be. In his search for something more, Amado moved to Guadalajara, Mexico in 1993 to live and work with his two eldest brothers. It was there that he had found two of the great loves of his life: carpentry and his life partner.
In January of 1994, Amado met Leslie Richlich and knew instantly that she would be someone very special to him. While Leslie soon had to return home to the U.S., plans were already in the works for their next moments together, and after two years of frequent travel and love letters, Amado and Leslie made the decision to start their family. Despite his not knowing English and his great love for his family in Mexico, they knew this journey together would bring them back to Leslie’s hometown. They welcomed their first daughter, Allie, in January of 1996, with Amado’s arrival in the U.S. following shortly after. Amado and Leslie married on April 5, 1996 in the Richlich family home. Deciding their family was not yet complete, the couple welcomed another daughter, Emma, in August of 1999. Amado spent the next two decades of his life honing his skilled craft, caring deeply for his family, and enjoying each moment he was given. In January of 2017, Amado underwent a 12-hour heart procedure to complete a septuple bypass. During his long road to recovery, Amado made the decision to once again push himself further. By 2020, Amado had achieved his long-time dream of moving his woodworking operations into his own workshop. In January of 2021, Amado was gifted with the birth of his grandson, Owen McDaniel, who served as the brightest light in the last years of Amado’s life. His love for his family carried him through his cancer diagnosis in the spring of 2021, and pushed him to seek treatments from every possible avenue.
Amado took great pride in the work he’d done, hosting impromptu tours of works in progress and pointing out houses on family drives throughout Southwest Michigan. He enjoyed his many years as owner/operator of R & R Custom Finish and the flexibility that it brought in allowing him to be present and active in the lives of his daughters, never missing a school event or softball game. He tried to return to Mexico whenever possible, and spoke often and lovingly of the family he’d left back home. He will be remembered for this great pride in his work and for his family, his goofy jokes, realistic optimism, perseverance, and his many roles as a wonderful husband, father, uncle, grandfather, and friend.
A note from his family members in Mexico:
Amaste con tanta fuerza; que tú bondad y recuerdo siempre estará grabado en nuestros corazones.
(You loved so hard; that your goodness and memory will always be engraved in our hearts.)
Those left to cherish his memory include his wife and life partner of nearly 27 years, Leslie Richlich Resendiz; his daughters, Allie (Jason) McDaniel and Emma Resendiz; his grandson, Owen McDaniel; his three brothers, David (Carmen), Armando (Martha), and Fernando; seven of his sisters, Mona, Pilar, Amada (Tano), Rocio, Angeles, Claudia, and Karla; and many, many nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews.
Amado is preceded in death by his mother and father, Emma and Amado Resendiz; eldest sister, Sofia Resendiz; niece, Cynthia Damaris Resendiz; father-in-law, Jerome Richlich; and sister-in-law, Elisa Rivera de Resendiz.
In accordance with his wishes, cremation has taken place and there will be no funeral service. His family will be taking him home to his final resting place next June, honoring his love for his country, and releasing his ashes into the Gulf of Mexico. Upon confirmation of details, they will be hosting a Celebration of Life for family and friends from Michigan in the Spring of 2023. More information will be shared at a later time.
In his last years of life, Amado wanted to ensure his message was shared with everyone he knew:
Listen to your body: you and you alone know what is and is not right for how you feel. Do not ignore the signs your body is giving you that something is not right.
Get the tests and do the screenings: get them early and get them often. Fear, embarrassment, laziness–there’s no excuse. These procedures and work-ups are life-saving and necessary.
Amado was diagnosed at 48 but had suffered from cancer for an estimated 10 years prior to diagnosis. At the time of his diagnosis, he had already been feeling the symptoms, and the cancer had spread. It is never too soon to get tested, and you can never be too young to be diagnosed. Cancer does not discriminate.
The American Cancer Society reports that 1 in 23 men and 1 in 25 women will be diagnosed with Colorectal cancer. Colorectal Cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the United States. The recommended age to begin colonoscopies is 45, but can be scheduled through your primary care provider, or by asking for a referral to see a gastroenterologist.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to aid in medical costs, or to the organizations who brought great comfort to Amado and his family during difficult times.
His wife, Leslie Richlich-Resendiz
Wings of Hope Hospice, 530 Linn Street, Allegan, MI 49010. (269-686-8659)
Bronson Health Foundation, 301 John Street, Box C, Kalamazoo, MI 49007. (https://www.bronsonhealth.com/bronson-health-foundation/online-giving/)
Fund designation preferred by the family: Cancer Center Kalamazoo Fund or Heart and Vascular Fund.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Amado Resendiz-Gutierrez, please visit our floral store.