03/13/2026
Carl Philip Zupic
Carl Philip Zupic, 99, passed away peacefully at home in Midland, Michigan, on Wednesday, December 10, 2025. He was preceded in death by his devoted wife of 63 years, Beverly; sister, Gerri Hosna; sons-in-law, Simon Mackenzie and John Baldyga. Carl is survived by four children—Ann Mackenzie, Philip Zupic, Linda Baldyga, Marc Zupic (Karen Kuciel) and five grandchildren.
Born on May 2, 1926, in Chicago, Illinois, he was the son of Frances (Ocetek) and Philip Zupic. Carl’s early years were marked by academic success and leadership. He graduated from Morton High School in 1944, where he served as captain of the track team, and went on to attend Morton Junior College. His education was briefly interrupted when he volunteered to serve in the Army during World War II. Stationed in Japan, he developed a lifelong respect for veterans and all who serve their country.
Following his military service, Carl enrolled at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering in 1950. He graduated with Tau Beta Pi honors and began a distinguished 42-year career with The Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan. His work included contributions to the development of Saran film and Styrofoam, as well as plastic piping and manufacturing development. He remained professionally engaged as a lifelong member of the American Chemical Society.
Carl met Beverly Klein while she was working in the Process Engineering Department at Dow, and they were married on June 9, 1960, in Zurich, Switzerland. In 1968, Carl accepted an assignment at Dow Chemical’s Pacific Headquarters in Hong Kong. During the five years that followed, Carl and Beverly, along with their growing family, embraced life abroad, exploring Southeast Asia and enjoying memorable time boating aboard the junk, The Four Dragons.
Family was the center of Carl’s life, and his many interests reflected his curiosity and joy for living. He loved food, travel, sailing, photography, and skiing. An avid photographer, Carl carefully documented his life and the lives of those he loved through hundreds of rolls of film, later embracing digital and smartphone photography. Family members could often count on photographs capturing cherished moments together as a result of Carl’s hobby.
While summers brought the family together sailing on the water, winter weekends were spent skiing. As a bachelor, ski trips with friends were frequent getaways that he fondly recalled years later. For fifty years, he served as a dedicated member of the National Ski Patrol System, forming lasting friendships both on and off the slopes.
In retirement, Carl and Beverly enjoyed time in both Midland and Boyne City, Michigan, where they sailed Lake Charlevoix aboard their Nonsuch, North Star. They traveled often with friends, visited family whenever possible, and in later years spent winters in Longboat Key, Florida, enjoying the warmth, companionship, and sense of community they found there. Carl treasured time spent with his grandchildren. He loved them deeply and delighted in learning about their lives, proud of the people they have become.
More recently, Midland remained the place Carl called home, where he shared time and memories with Dow retirees, old friends, and coffee groups, as well as many days with the caring staff and friends at Seasons.
Carl cherished his long and full life and approached each day with gratitude and a smile, mindful of the friendships that enriched it. A funeral Mass will be celebrated on May 2, 2026, what would have been his 100th birthday, at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Midland at 11 a.m., with visitation beginning at 10 a.m. He will be interred alongside his beloved wife, Beverly, at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, Michigan. Arrangements are under the care of Wilson Miller Funeral Home.
Carl will be greatly missed, and his legacy of curiosity, generosity, and devotion to family will live on through the many lives he touched.
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