I first met Glenn Pape in his professional capacity when I worked on the Advantage Livingston project, which began in the throes of the Great Recession as communities struggled to remake themselves in the new economic reality. “Sustainable prosperity” was the goal.
Glenn died May 26 at the age of 61.
When I learned of Glenn’s death, I revisited the Advantage Livingston report. It’s been 13 years since it was released, and I was impressed at how so much of what was outlined for the county’s sustainable prosperity has become reality: our downtowns have embraced their roles as gathering spaces; innovative educational programs have been put into place; we continue to promote the arts and creativity; and we support entrepreneurial pursuits. (You can read more about the report by clicking here.)
To that end, Glenn was the effort’s knight in shining armor. As the facilitator from the Michigan State University Land Policy Institute, he guided and harnessed the ideas and contributions of over 800 people in the community. It took a year of meetings and brainstorming and study, and then more work after that to produce the Advantage Livingston document, which laid out a strategy to get the community from there to here.
Watching Glenn work was a lesson in management — of people and processes and planning — and he was so, so good at it. His skill in working with that many people, each with their own point of view and constituency, was a master class. It was the first such plan in Michigan that involved broad public participation, and it remains to this day one of the most creative and challenging projects I’ve ever been part of, and that was because of Glenn’s leadership and vision.
While Livingston County hasn’t adopted all the recommendations in the report — at least not yet — it has taken great strides forward. Perhaps more important than checking off every box, though, is that we’ve embraced the spirit of the report, and it has been guiding us forward, whether we are conscious of it or not.
For that, Livingston County owes Glenn Pape a huge debt of gratitude.
Other people knew Glenn through his love of steampunk. Always a fan of science fiction, fantasy and history, Glenn was close to the heart of the Michigan steampunk community, which celebrates mixing science fiction with a Victorian flare and imaginative costuming.
Glenn loved steampunk. And hats. He also took joy in standing out from the crowd; he lived in a beautiful, joyfully purple old house in downtown Howell with the family he loved so deeply.
Glenn relocated to Howell in 2000 as he began his career in urban planning and land-use education. He worked for the Michigan Association of Planning, Michigan State University Extension, and the Village of Oxford. He was a certified Urbanist, and he considered land use, resource preservation and placemaking of utmost importance. (His passion and respect for planning is evident throughout the Advantage Livingston report.)
Born in Tuscon, Ariz., on April 19, 1963, Glenn moved to Mount Pleasant, Mich., as a child. After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Central Michigan University, Glenn taught at Mid-Michigan Community College, Ferris State University, and CMU.
CLICK HERE for Glenn’s obituary.
Glenn is survived by his wife, Cindy Spencer Pape; his sons Chandler (Andi) and Tristan (Krista); his granddaughters Persephone Walker-Pape and Anya Pape; his parents, Bruce and Judith Pape of Port Angeles, Wash.; his brother, Forrest (Kathryn) Pape of New Brighton, Minn.; and his brother-in-law, P. Mark Spencer of Howell.
A memorial service will be held June 29, 2024, at Watkins Funeral Home, MacDonald Chapel, 315 N. Michigan Ave. in Howell. Visitation will begin at 3 p.m. and a celebration of his life is set for 4 p.m. A wake will follow with time and venue to be determined; true to Glenn’s spirit, attendees are welcome to wear whatever they like, and tasteful cosplay — particularly steampunk, Renaissance and pirate garb — is welcome. As his obituary put it, “Glenn loved mixing things up.”
A GoFundMe account has been established to help cover Glenn’s final expenses. CLICK HERE to chip in.
