Emmett Milton Capper II, age 85 of West Bloomfield, passed away February 20, 2024. He was born in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia to Emmett and Lottie (nee: Unger) Capper.

Born and raised in his hometown, Emmett was a graduate of Berkeley Springs High School. Shortly after graduation, he met his love of his life, Gloria Roach; they married in 1960 at the First United Methodist Church, steps from Emmett's childhood home. Emmett was drafted into the Vietnam War and served in the United States Army; stationed in Anchorage, Alaska during the infamous Good Friday Earthquake of 1963, when Emmett was a news announcer for Armed Forces Radio and TV. Emmett and Gloria remained on base in Anchorage for the birth of their first daughter, Lisa and until his Honorable Discharge.

Emmett's professional career began in Richmond, Virginia as a disc jockey using an on-air name, 'Dick Valentine', later moving on to Steven's Point, Wisconsin as a television morning news anchor; a few more professional broadcast stops before Emmett landed as a television news anchor at Kalamazoo's WKZO. His most recognizable position came early in the 1970s when Emmett began his more than two-decade career at WJBK, Channel 2 in Southfield as a Booth Announcer - a most familiar voice of 'It's 8 o'clock, Do You Know Where Your Children Are?'. Emmett Capper became WJBK's weekend Weatherman and part-time News Anchor into the 1980s.

Never officially retiring, Emmett was a sought-after voiceover talent and a successful model for both local and national print, including the JC Penney catalog; a lifetime member of AFTRA/SAG, and a commercial and industrial film actor with an extensive list of credits to his name.

He was a proprietor of several businesses: Inner Ad, his start up advertising agency was a new concept where he produced and voiced in-store commercials for various local and regional department store chains. At one time or another, nearly every local had heard Emmett's familiar dulcet pipes over a store speaker.

Straying from his norm, Emmett owned and operated donut shops in the Metro Detroit area, and for fun ran a booth making and selling 'Hot Buttered French Bread' at the 'Detroit Ethnic Festivals' on weekends in the 1970s, where his lines formed through Hart Plaza.

Fulfilling a lifelong dream of owning and operating his own radio station, Emmett and Gloria purchased their hometown radio station in 1995, changing the call letters to WDHC (We're Down Home Country), a successful AM/FM station for many years in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of West Virginia.

As technology advanced, so did Emmett. As a pioneer in the Cellular Industry, Emmett was steadfast in getting in from the ground up, creating' Cellular One' and 'Cellular Ventures' infrastructures in West Virginia and Iowa, respectively; building his own internet service provider company, ultimately, he began Sky Web for his hometown where his towers still operate.

It was not all work, as Emmett's ethics were steeped in family tradition.  Instilling strong family values, engaging in all aspects of his wife and children's lives, ever-present for extracurricular activities and milestones; a den leader for son Christopher's Cub Scout troop and a hands-on boy and girl dad at all times; a family dinner seven nights a week and made every holiday and birthday the biggest of deals, making certain those memories were restored through the years. He was a notorious videographer and shutterbug who captured endless hours of his family life on film. Emmett was an advocate of holistic health and wellness and that lifestyle was top priority. He possessed the gold-standard of work ethic and was usually the smartest person in a room but never one to admit that, because he was also the most humble; inherently funny (which was directly passed on to his daughter, Lori), a private person by nature and deeply sentimental, Emmett enjoyed a quiet life with family and those closest to him. He had a passion for travel and particularly loved cruising the open seas. An athlete in his younger years, a lover of music and old movies, a slot car and model train enthusiast, a great cook and cake maker as well as the creator of the best mashed potatoes this side of heaven.

From childhood through adulthood - a myriad of hobbies and passions filled Emmett's years, which garnered him a full and lively life very well lived, passing those ideals onto his children. Although he has left a wonderful legacy for family and friends to cherish, his presence will be deeply missed.

As his granddaughter, Alexis so eloquently stated, "What a blessing it would be to live life in your shoes.'

Emmett is survived by his wife, Gloria of 64 magical years; loving and devoted father to Lisa and (Kenneth) Skinner, Lori L. Capper, Christopher Emmett Capper, and proud granddaddy of Alexis Skinner. Dear brother of Ronald Capper and Steve Compton. Emmett is preceded in death by his father and mother, Emmett Milton Capper and Lottie Compton, his nephew Kevin Capper, brother Lynn Compton, and sister Debbie Cohill.

Arrangements entrusted to McCabe Funeral Home of Farmington Hills. Memorial donations in Emmett's name may be directed to the Veterans Administration.