Eugene Bulkowski

Any parent would agree that raising children is a delicate dance in which the parent needs to shape the will without breaking the spirit. Eugene Bulkowski made being a father seem effortless as he raised children who became adults he was proud of through his rather soft touch and tender heart. Gene was a man of honor and great character who proudly served his country and worked hard no matter what he was doing. A man who never worried much about material wealth, Gene built relationships with those he treasured that will be forever held near to the hearts of the family and friends he leaves behind.

The year 1929 is often remembered as the year in which the crash of the stock market on October 29th sent our nation plummeting into the throes of the Great Depression for the following decade and beyond. By the time the unemployment rate peaked at 25 percent in 1933, hundreds of thousands of Americans found themselves without jobs homeless. It was just a few months prior to that infamous day in October that there was cause for great celebration in Grand Rapids, Michigan, as the Bulkowski family welcomed the birth of their fourth and youngest child, Eugene. He was born on March 23, 1929 to Phillip and Anna (Borys) Bulkowski, joining older siblings Estelle, Jean, and Bernie. Nicknamed the “Furniture City,” Grand Rapids was the major lumbering center and the premier furniture manufacturing city of the United States during that time. Gene’s father worked in one of the local furniture factories while his mother had more than enough to keep her busy at home. He attended St. Adalberts Catholic School and was nicknamed "One-Dime" by his neighborhood friends due to the "brand new" used shoes he was wearing, teasing him that they must have cost one dime. He graduated from Union High School in 1946.

After graduating from high school, Gene worked for Western Electric for a time before enlisting in the United States Air Force. He was stationed primarily on Erding Air Base in the southern region of Germany. It was also as a young man that Gene’s life was forever changed when he met a young woman named Rita. While driving home from Rita’s cousin’s wedding, Gene and his mother passed Rita and her mother walking home and offered them a ride in their Studebaker. With that fateful ride, a chapter in a love story that would span nearly 58 years had begun. After dating and falling deeply in love, Gene and Rita were united in marriage on October 11, 1952, while he was home on leave. He then returned to Germany until he was honorably discharged after four years of dedicated service.

When he returned from Germany, Gene and Rita lived at 617 Pine NW before moving to 1105 Fourth NW, a home that he helped construct. They were blessed with three children together: Jane in 1955, Mary Ellen in 1956, and Gene in 1957. As a father, Gene was a bit of a softie who rarely refused his children anything. The Bulkowski family enjoyed many car trips together while the children were young. In order to support his family, Gene worked briefly for the water department in Grand Rapids before getting a job with Michigan Bell. He remained there for more than 30 years until he retired in 1988.

There were many interests that Gene enjoyed throughout his life. He loved gardening and landscaping. In fact, he had the only documented Sequoia tree that he developed from a seedling. Gene enjoyed model building including a sailboat that he built with his brother-in-law, Wally. He also liked reading and watching both baseball and football on television, also loved to talk Red Wings Hockey with son-in-law Bob, getting Bob hooked on hockey. Gene was a handy person who took on countless “do it yourself” projects and was incredibly innovative and artistic. Aviation fascinated Gene, especially associated with WWII. He was also very intrigued by space and regularly followed NASA projects carefully. Gene knew his way around the kitchen and was famous for his Polish meatballs made from his mother’s recipe. He was also a collector who had extensive collections of coins, models, and stamps.

Although Gene certainly enjoyed pursuing his interests, the time he spent with his family always topped his list. He taught the kids to ski, loved to take little Gene trout fishing on the Pere Marquette River and enjoyed Sunday drives with the entire family. He loved being a grandfather and sharing special moments with his grandchildren. He frequently helped them with their Pinewood Derby cars and with his superb model building skills, it was never a surprise when their cars came out on top on more than one occasion. Holidays were always some of his favorite times, too, as it was often a time the entire family spent gathered together.

For the majority of his life, Gene enjoyed good health until six years ago when he was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, a serious lung disease that he battled throughout the rest of his life.

Eugene Bulkowski lived a long and fulfilling life rich with love for those around him. He was a devoted husband and father whose greatest joys were spent with those he loved. Gene embraced life and lived each moment to the fullest while leaving behind a footprint that is all his own. He will be deeply missed and warmly remembered.

Eugene P. Bulkowski died Thursday, July 15, 2010. Gene’s family includes his wife, Rita; their children, Jane (Doug) Bouwman, Mary Ellen (Robert) Burden, and Gene B. (Kim) Bulkowski; grandchildren, J.D., Daniel, Jason, Kevin, Bryan, Ashley and Robbie; great-grandson, Gabriel. Following his wishes, cremation has taken place. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, corner of Myrtle and Quarry NW with interment in Resurrection Cemetery. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can leave a favorite memory or photo, sign the online guestbook, or make a memorial contribution to Faith Hospice of Trillium Woods, 8214 Pfeiffer Farms Dr, SW, Byron Center, MI 49315 or the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 1332 Halstead St, Suite 201, Chicago, IL 60642.