Ariel R. Vargas

Celebrating the Life of Ariel Vargas Ariel Rosado Vargas was born in Salinas, Puerto Rico on October 9, 1952 to Carmen and Antonio Vargas, subsequently becoming a lifelong Michigan resident when the family moved to Pontiac, MI in 1954. Ariel departed from this life at McLaren Hospital in Pontiac, MI on Saturday, May 10, 2014 surrounded by family and friends. He is survived by his children, Tasha Mayo of Murfreesboro, TN, Justin Wise of Huston, TX and Miko (Chantel) Grice of Leonard, MI; his sisters, Debbie Vargas of Bitely, MI, Becky Vargas of Waterford, MI and Tina Vargas of Port Richey, FL as well as grandchildren, nieces, nephews and many family members in Michigan and Puerto Rico. A graduate of Pontiac Northern High School (1971), Ariel attended Oakland University, where he prepared for a career in engineering as an automotive and assembly line robotics designer for Fortune 500 automotive manufactures. A talented and prolific designer of automotive products, he was recruited by General Motors and Ford Motor Company was a pioneer in the design of robotic applications for Volkswagen assembly operations. An avid chess player, Ariel also loved to paint, play guitar and improvise musical compositions. As a member of the Pontiac Northern High School choir, Ariel participated in the Interlochen summer program and performed in the Interlochen summer music festival. He also assisted his parents at the Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal, where he played the accordion during worship services. A founding member of Oakland County's Puerto Rican community, Ariel will be deeply missed by family, friends and neighbors whose lives he enriched with humor, creativity and intelligence. To celebrate his life, family and friends gathered at the First Spanish-American Baptist Church, 1533 Giddings Road, Pontiac, MI on Tuesday, May 13, 2014 at 6:00 p.m., officiating Pastor Carlos Quinones.