John Ostrowski Sr.

John Charles Ostrowski was a caring son and brother, a devoted husband, loving father, and fun-loving grandfather. He was both kind and generous, stubborn and thrifty---all part of his "down-to-earth and of-the-earth" nature. He thrived in the great outdoors, and was pleased to do anything for anyone. To offer the shirt off his back if necessary was a fitting expression of John's good heart. In his patience and quietness, he never raised his voice to anyone, yet he slid in his unique sense of humor. John's life reflected his love for God and for those around him.

John was born to Peter and Rose (Kozlowski) Ostrowski on November 18, 1914 in Ada Michigan. He was the fourth of seven children, supported by their father who farmed and their mother who was plenty busy at home. With his older siblings, Peter, Eleanor and Ed and his younger brothers and sisters, Dorothy, Tillie and Tom, John enjoyed a rich childhood filled with the right blend of hard work and fun. He attended Colton Elementary School, a one-room schoolhouse in Alpine Township, through the 8th grade. At age 16, he went to work laying track for the railroad and, later, stayed busy doing cement work. At the same time, John was active in sports and was especially good at baseball. Already as a boy, he developed a passion for fishing that he never lost. It didn't matter if it was pond fishing, lake fishing, ice fishing, or snagging salmon on the Grand and Muskegon Rivers, John was there.

A great event in John's life began when he was attending a Polish wedding reception. He met his future wife. The lovely Mary Subocz caught John's eye, and they began a dating relationship that culminated in marriage. John and Mary made their vows on November 7, 1946 at St. Adalbert's Church in Grand Rapids. For their honeymoon, they took a long drive to California to visit Mary's sister. Once home, they rented a place on Ransom Avenue in downtown Grand Rapids. They lived there for two years while John built a home in Comstock Park, just north of downtown. He used a team of horses to dig out the foundation for the basement. With such a labor of love, it's no wonder the house became the family home for the remainder of their lives. Just the same, John was energized to build another house on the lot next door. It was 1965, and a tornado ripped through Comstock Park, destroying much of the area, including Holy Trinity Church. It destroyed the new house, tore off the roof off the old house, but John was able to fix it. Holy Trinity Church was repaired and remained a firm foundation on the landscape as well as in the lives of John's family.

John and Mary began their family with the birth of Kathy in May of 1948. They had six more children: Sue born in May 1949, Mary Ellen in November 1950, Jeanne in August 1953, John in August 1957, Liz in March 1959, and Tom in March 1963. All the kids attended Holy Trinity Elementary School and West Catholic High School or Kenowa Hills High School. The family were faithful members of Holy Trinity Catholic Church and never missed Sunday mass, even when they were out of town on vacation. Each summer, they camped at Higgins Lake or Bert Lake, first using a tent and then graduating to a travel trailer. The Ostrowskis were a very close family, made so by the strong values John and Mary instilled in their children. Their catholic faith underpinned everything they did.

John was always a hard worker who didn't let obstacles stand in his way. When he applied at Lear Siegler, he had to convince them he could do the job. They took a chance on him, and in time John taught himself trigonometry to become a tool and die maker. Lear Siegler's "risk" paid off well, for John worked for them 29 years before retiring at age 64.

Once the children were older, Mary went to work with the Expanded Nutrition Program through Michigan State Cooperative Extension Program until her retirement. It was a good fit for her since she and John always kept a garden and preserved everything imaginable. During the winter months, John planned the garden of peppers, beans, strawberries, melons, cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes, and acres of corn. They canned and froze the produce each fall and had good eating all year long. John also brought home wild game that he hunted every season. He loved to hunt deer and small game, such as rabbits, squirrels, and pheasants. With his buddies Red, Vic and Ed, John went wherever fish and game were. They went smelt dipping on streams and fish snagging (when it was still legal) or fishing off the pier. John also hunted mushrooms and often took the entire family along. That was good, because then Mary wouldn't worry so much. There was many-a time when John went hunting or fishing and did not come home on time, that Mary worried and expected the worst. Often times she called the kids in alarm, saying she was sure John was dead in the woods or he had fallen through the ice. Such love and concern nurtured John and Mary's life throughout all their 56 years of marriage. Whether raising children, growing a garden, or playing on a bowling league, John and Mary were a team.

John was a skilled man, on and off the job. He could fix everything and anything at anytime. If the tractor didn't work, he just hooked the plow to back of the car to get the job done. However, one of the times John chose to "get the job done" was just prior to their daughter Kathy's wedding reception at their home. After the garage had been thoroughly cleaned, he decided to pull the engine on one of the cars. Understandably, it gave Mary fits, but it also made for a good story. John was a great storyteller, and he entertained his children and later the grandkids with his amusing tales. He had his own special way of renaming things that already had a proper name. That was just John.

Among John's many amusements was watching sports. He was a fan of college basketball and Tigers' baseball. Other than sports, he only watched "M.A.S.H" or "Sanford and Son" on TV. In his younger years, John found time to cook...sort of. One time, he bought a 50-pound bag of buckwheat pancake mix and made buckwheat pancakes everyday for a week. Buying such a large quantity was the result of John being a great bargain hunter. He often went to auctions and estate sales, bringing home valuable treasures. Whenever the kids bought anything, he asked, "How much did you pay for that?" And whatever they responded, he inevitably said, "You paid too much."

John and his children had a wonderful relationship because they loved being together.

Their closeness didn't diminish when the children married and had their own families. John just had more children to love when grandchildren came along. His 15 grandchildren thought he was the greatest. He always did a lot with them and never missed any special days in their lives or at school. One example of his special bond with his children came at each family wedding. He made sure he danced at least one dance with each of his daughters. Then there were the times the family spent in recreation. Besides camping, they enjoyed speed boating and water skiing. Once, while towing a skier, John fell out of the boat, but he kept hold of the steering wheel and actually climbed back into the boat. John's summer fun was extended into the winter months when he and Mary went to Florida for several years. After retirement, they traveled to many other places with the family in their motor home: Montana, Idaho, Minnesota, California, Alaska and more. John especially liked to stop at the casinos, but what kind of bargain he might have found there remains a secret.

At age 79, John had a heart attack that might have really slowed him down. In fact, the doctors were ready to write him off, but John came back stronger than ever. Then, in the late 1990s, John began to develop macular degeneration and eventually lost enough vision that he could no longer drive. So Mary did all the driving, and they still did everything together until the day she developed an embolism. Mary died very unexpectedly on January 29, 2003. John was devastated. Ever after that he said, "No wife, no life." He surely felt that, but his faith in God and the love of his family brought him through. Soon after his wife Mary died, grandsons, Matthew and Rob, moved in with grandpa. "The Three Bachelors," they called themselves. Later, while son John Jr. and Ann were building their new home behind John's home, they moved in with him. When they moved out, daughter Liz and her family moved in. They just loved being with dad and helping in any way they could. They were also together to celebrate every holiday and birthday. The closeness of their family was evident in sorrow and in joy.

More recently, John suffered from stenosis of the spine that caused him much pain and discomfort. He decided to have elective surgery, which he said the doctors "botched" because he never quite recovered. Post surgery, he went into rehabilitation but developed congestive heart failure, and his health diminished. He had been at Porter Hills but was later admitted to Spectrum Hospital. As he steadily declined, John's family kept a constant vigil. John waited until all the children were around him and then peacefully went to join his beloved Mary on Monday morning at 9 o'clock.

John will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him. Yet the valuable lessons he taught and lived remain with his beloved family who cherish him dearly.

Mr. John C. Ostrowski, aged 92 of Comstock Park, MI, passed away on June 11, 2007. He joined Mary, his beloved wife of 56 years, in the eternal garden. He was also preceded in death by his brothers, Pete, Ed, Tom and his sister Eleanor. He is survived by his children, Kathy and Michael Stark, Sue and Rick Brandenburg, Mary Ellen and Bill Best, Jeanne and Mark Wretschko, John Jr. and Ann Ostrowski, Liz and Denny Antor, Tom and Shannon Ostrowski; his 15 grandchildren, Michele, Jill, J.P., Amanda, Adam, Ashley, Sarah, Rob, Carly, Lizzy, Matthew, Pete, Tom, Melly and Dan; one great grandson, Aidan; his sisters, Dorothy DeMull and Tillie Milanowski; nieces, nephews and many friends. Grandpa's vegetables and stories will be missed. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday morning at 11:00 AM at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 1200 Alpine Church Rd. NW in Comstock Park (please meet at church) Relatives and friends may meet his family at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home - Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel, 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW, on Tuesday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM and again at the church on Wednesday from 10:00 AM until Mass begins. Contributions in his may be made to the Spectrum Health Foundation 100 Michigan St. NE. MC04, Grand Rapids MI 49503. The rosary will be prayed at 7:00 PM on Tuesday at the funeral home. To read more about John's life, to leave your own memory of him and to sign his guest book, please visit his web page at www.lifestorynet.com.