There are many celebrities and well-known folks who call Michigan their home. Some of them are here forever. These are the celebrities who have passed on – gone on to the great broadway show in the sky – kicked the bucket and otherwise left the rest of us for greener pastures.

There are many notable folks buried all across Michigan including singer Aretha Franklin (buried at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit), actor George Peppard (buried in Northview Cemetery in Dearborn), singer and boxer Jackie Wilson (buried in Westlawn Cemetery in Wayne), former President Gerald R. Ford and his wife Betty (buried at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids), and civil rights advocate Rosa Parks (buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit).

There’s also Paul Williams of the Temptations (buried in Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery in Clinton Township), football player George Gipp “The Gipper” (buried in Lakeview Cemetery in Calumet), Henry Ford (buried in Ford Family Cemetery in Detroit), R.E. Olds (buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Lansing), millionaire and cereal manufacturer Charles William Post (buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Battle Creek), University of Michigan coach Bo Schembechler (buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Ann Arbor), and the legendary voice in the sports broadcasting world, Ernie Harwell (buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Farmington).

A list of more burial sites of famous figures can be found in a Detroit Free Press article here. The list includes artists, performers, entertainers, politicians and leaders, Motown stars, sports icons, automotive innovators and Michigan food giants.

Famous people don’t just die and get buried in Michigan though. Others have been born and raised here and are still alive and kicking including Madonna, Kid Rock, and Stevie Wonder. And the list of other Michiganders, some more alive than others, includes Serena Williams, Magic Johnson, Alice Cooper, David Spade, Kate Upton, Glenn Frye, Christie Brinkley, Smokey Robinson, Kristen Bell, Tom Selleck, Burt Reynolds, Casey Kasem, Lily Tomlin, Chris Webber, Sonny Bono, and Dean Cain.

Actor and comedian, George Burns (real name Nathan Birnbaum), wasn’t born or buried in Michigan but he did have some very funny quotes about death. One of his best was “If you live to be one hundred, you’ve got it made. Very few people die past that age.”

It’s some good advice for all of us to follow.