It’s with great personal sadness that I’ve posted the extended obituary for Jeffrey Howard Flintoft, who most people around town knew as the owner of Chelsea Market and the operator of the meat/counter deli.
Obituary
Jeffrey Howard Flintoft of Grass Lake passed away at his home surrounded by family and friends on August 14, 2010. He was 64. Born in Ann Arbor on December 28, 1945, Jeffrey was the second son of Howard “Red” Flintoft and Anna N. Flintoft (née Schneider).
Jeff graduated from Chelsea High School in 1964 and Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts in History in 1969. He was a veteran of the United States Army, serving from 1970 to 1972. On December 11, 1976, he married Carolyn Smith, his high school sweetheart and love of his life. She survives in addition to his two daughters, Beth Flintoft (Jonathan Tauber) of Chicago and Joan Flintoft of Washington, D.C.
Jeff owned and operated the Chelsea Market for many years. Formerly Schneider’s Grocery, it was established in 1914 by his maternal grandfather, Oscar Schneider, and later owned and operated by his father, Howard “Red” Flintoft, and uncle, Carl Schneider. In 1928, the store was moved to the corner building at 125 South Main Street and in 1946, Red Flintoft expanded it to include the meat market.
Jeff was known for his genuine, kind personality, extraordinary good humor, incredible work ethic, and willingness to go out of the way for his customers.
In addition to his wife and children, Jeff is survived by his siblings, Peter Flintoft (Priscilla) of Chelsea, Kim Flintoft (Beverly) of Chelsea, Mary Jill Scarzo (Antonio) of Grayling, and Howard Flintoft (Jacquelyn Luedtke) of Chelsea, and step-siblings Jean Walters of Chelsea and Ronald Early of Tennessee; five cousins, nine nieces and seven nephews. Jeff was preceded in death by his father, mother and step-mother.
Visitation will be held 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, August 18, 2010 at the Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, 901 N. Main Street, Chelsea.
Expressions of sympathy may be made to Chelsea Community Hospital Cancer Center. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, August 19, 2010 at the Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home.
