David Romanowski

Although his life ended too early, David D. Romanowski lived his life fully with others in the forefront of his mind. He was a gentle soul who was helpful to all who were within his reach in ways both great and small. A loving husband and devoted father, David was filled with unspeakable joy to witness his family tree blossom to include the grandchildren who were his greatest source of pride and joy. Whether at work or at home, he worked hard in everything he did, and he made sure that he did things right, too. A man of faith, David was never overbearing in his beliefs, rather, it was through the personal choices he made that his life was a witness to others. He will be deeply missed, but the timeless legacy he leaves behind will live on through the lives of the ones who follow in his footsteps.

It seems only fitting that David’s journey began during a time that was as vibrant as he was. It was the 1950s when rock ‘n roll transformed the world of music, James Dean made young girls swoon on the silver screen, and Elvis was king. This was also the decade that witnessed Rosa Parks refuse to give up her seat on an Alabama bus while the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union was in full swing. It was on August 18, 1952, that Daniel Jerome and Mary Ann (Koleczek) Romanowski were pleased to announce the birth of their healthy baby boy in Grand Rapids, Michigan. David D. was the oldest of four children in his family, and he was raised in the family home on Portland Street, NE alongside his younger siblings, Dianna, Christine, and Mary Jo. To support their family his father worked at the local gas company while David’s mother was a busy homemaker.

In many ways David’s years as a young man were a reflection of the time. He loved to fish and camp as a boy and was a student at St. Alphonsus Elementary where the family also attended church. While in elementary school David played football, and as a student at Creston High School he was on the wrestling team.

After graduating from high school in 1970, David attended Michigan State University where agriculture and electrical skills were his primary focus. One year later he left school and took a job with Switchboard, a hotline for addicts and troubled young people looking for help. David stayed there for two years. He then spent a couple of years traveling around and spent some time living in Colorado and Kentucky, taking odd jobs along the way.

David eventually returned to Grand Rapids. It was a bit later that he met the woman of his dreams. Her name was Mary Evanzo Jenkinson, and she was the manager of Grandview Apartments while David handled the maintenance work there. They began dating and soon found themselves deeply in love. With a desire to spend the rest of their lives together David and Mary were married on March 17, 1984, at Faith Lutheran Church.

When the couple returned from their honeymoon in Florida, they bought a home on Atlantic, which was the place that David called home for the rest of his life. David spent countless hours remodeling both inside and outside as his home improvements also included redoing the landscaping complete with a waterfall.

Family was always of the utmost importance to David. He was deeply saddened with the sudden death of his father in October of 1999. David frequently saw his mother as he was there to help her with whatever she needed, and he remained in contact with his sisters. He loved spending time with his children, especially his grandchildren Eric, Michelle, and Zachary. David would have been so proud of his new grandson, Brayden, who joined the family this Monday, October 13. David loved cooking for his family, and he had his own special way of doing things – often adding in a little of this and some of that according to his individual taste. He especially liked traditional Polish dishes like pierogi, golumpki, kielbasa, and czernina (duck blood soup). It has been said that David was also the grill master.

In his time away from work David also enjoyed pursuing his interests. He joined Unity Church ten years ago and became a vital part of church life. He took care of the maintenance duties in addition to whatever landscaping needed to be done. David was the one who coordinated the music and speakers, and he also spent the past five years serving on the church board. He enjoyed reading on a variety of different subject matters including spirituality, yoga, meditation, and even some sci-fi as well as new thinking. Loyal to his home teams, David loved watching both the Tigers and the Lions on television, and when it came to music he loved the unique programs and music that are offered on WYCE 88.1 FM.

With unending love for those around him, David Romanowski made a significant difference in the world around him. He had a good sense of humor and a quick wit with a certain way about him that made others feel at ease. David was kindhearted, caring, and quick to forgive – his life an inspiration to all who were near. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

ROMANOWSKI David D. Romanowski, aged 62 of Grand Rapids, passed away very unexpectedly on Saturday, October 11, 2014. He was preceded in death by his father and mother, Daniel J. and Mary Ann Romanowski; and father-in-law and mother-in-law, Joe and Esther Evanzo. He is survived by his loving wife and soul mate of 30 years, Mary Romanowski (Evanzo); his step children, Jason Jenkinson, Eric (Michelle) Jenkinson; step-grandchildren, Zachary Jeltema, Devin Jenkinson, Courtney (Josh) Mann and Brayden Alan Jenkinson; his mother, Mary Ann Romanowski; his sisters, Dianna (David) Dietz, Christine (Ed) Turek, Mary Jo (John) Yowaish; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Joseph and Esther Evanzo; his sister-in-law, Nancy (David) Hill and brother-in-law, John Evanzo; many cousins, nieces, nephews and dear friends. David was a loving and dedicated husband, father, grandfather, son, brother and a friend to all who knew him. He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered. He was a very active member of Unity Church of Grand Rapids, 1711 Walker Ave. NW, where a service to celebrate his life will be held on Saturday, October 18, 2014 at 1:00 PM. Contributions in his memory may be made to Unity Church of Grand Rapids. To read more about David’s life, to sign his guest book, and to leave your own memory of him, visit his web page at www.lifestorynet.com