December 8 1943 August 24 2019
Frank’s Obituary Frank Martin Petroski Jr., 75 of Westland, MI passed away unexpectedly on August 24, 2019 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Livonia. Great efforts from staff were made to save his life, but were unfortunately unsuccessful. Frank was born December 8, 1943 to Frank and Netty Petroski in Detroit, MI. He grew up there with his three sisters and attended St. Hedwig School. He was married to Jacqueline M. (Waters) Petroski on April 11, 1964 and they had just celebrated 55 years of marriage. He was a proud American supporter, starting with his time served in the US Navy. As a proud Navy veteran, he then began his career at Ford Motor Company-Wayne Assembly Plant as an inspector for nearly forty years before he retired. He and Jackie raised their six children in Dearborn Heights, MI and attended Divine Child Church, before settling in Westland. He was the proud “Papa” to 28 grandchildren and a Great-Papa to two great-grandchildren. He was also an uncle to many nieces and nephews and a dear friend to others. He was a member of the K of C and supported organizations important to him, most recently Boys Town. He was a devoted husband and father who was inventive and creative. He was a self-taught man and believed in hard work. These attributes, along with his attention to detail allowed him to share his talents with those near to him. He was an avid upholsterer, creating not only majority of his own furniture, but also for countless others. He had a drive that would often keep him up to complete his latest projects. So many fond memories of the items created with his hands and innovative thoughts. His projects offered cherished moments to many, whether it was skating rinks and sledding paths in the yard, built sandboxes, swing sets and wagons. Though his greatest passion was the holidays. You could always expect a beautiful and well thought out decorative scene at any holiday, with a fun celebration or dinner to follow. He is most remembered for his love of Halloween which began with the Jaycees in 1972. It was not long until he saw his own vision to create The House of Dracula. Beginning with only him and his neighbor, they held a family friendly haunted house right in his home. HIs efforts grew through his love of creation and to provide a free and safe Halloween activity for the neighborhood. This hobby eventually boomed into something bigger than he ever anticipated, landing him multiple news interviews and attendance of 1000’s a year. He continued this tradition even with the move to Westland. As of last year, though the attendance has decreased over time, his effort and passion has remained the same. Frank enjoyed traveling to Pennsylvania and the Amish country with his wife, making multiple trips a year. Though he was not a sports fan, he attended every year with season tickets to the Detroit Tigers in support of his wife and sons’ love of the game. He was a man who liked to be active, but in his down time he did enjoy westerns, the classic monster movies and other great films. He even mastered viewing those movies with his eyes closed. He also had a great fondness for his dog, and would take him for rides to get a Timbit. He could often be a quiet man, but would share his opinion whether you wanted to hear it or not. His way with words was not always his best trait, but his genuineness and honesty was well respected, and through his tough exterior he had a tender heart and was always willing to lend a hand. He will forever be loved and remembered by his great sense of humor and incredible laugh. He lived a life that wasn’t always perfect or understood by all, but his heart was true and kind. May he forever rest in the arms of the Lord until we are reunited. Frank is survived by his wife Jacqueline, his children: Kathleen (Mark), Jennifer (Allie), Melissa, Loretta (Douglas), Frank (Jennifer) and Clifford (Amanda), his sisters Clare (Keith) and Josephine (Gary), His grandchildren: Allie, Emily, Rhiannon, Larry, Brandon, Helena, Alex, Bridgette, Arianna, David, Gabe, Lance, Brenden, Jackie, Frankie, Landon, Miranda, Christopher, Morgan, Nolan, Mark, Ben, Missy, Ryan, Emma, Katie and Oliver, and great-grandchildren Weston and Penelope. He was preceded in death by his parent’s Frank and Netty, his sister Ann (Ron) and his granddaughter Sarah. Visitation for Frank will be held at the L.J. Griffin Funeral Home, 8809 Wayne Road (at Joy Rd.) on Wednesday, August 28, 2019 from 1:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Funeral Service will be on Thursday, August 29, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. from the Griffin Chapel. Read More
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Frank Martin Petroski Jr December 8 1943 August 24 2019.
Death notice for the town of: Westland, state: Michigan