Douglas Pawlowski

Douglas Pawlowski, age 78 of Canton, passed away on Saturday, August 21, 2021, due to complications from Covid-19. He is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Josephine; his son Todd Pawlowski and wife Shannon of Atlanta, Georgia; son Brad Pawlowski and wife Renate of Jersey City, New Jersey; his son Jason Pawlowski and wife Kathy of Milton, Georgia; his sister Marcia Olszewski of Florida; his brother Ken Pawlowski of Florida; his brother Greg Pawlowski of Michigan; his sister Claudia Kelly of Connecticut; and his beloved grandkids Tyler, Ella, Katriane, Genevieve, Celeste and Seraphine. Doug grew up in Hamtramck, Michigan, and nearby areas. With his brothers and sisters all living in a small house, they were struck with tragedy at a young age. His father passed away at the age of 46, leaving Doug at the age of 19 to become the stand-in head of household, working with his mother Rita, to provide for his brothers and sisters. This event really shaped who Doug was as a person, and later as a husband and father, as he became the foundation of his family. His focus was on the family – providing, supporting, and doing everything in his ability to take care of his mom, brothers, and sisters. He completed high school at University of Detroit and put himself through college at U of D as well, ultimately getting a job at Ford where he would work for 33 years. By getting a job at Ford, he was able to continue to support his mother, brothers, and sisters as they grew up. He later went on to receive an MBA from U of D and taught both computer programming and mathematics at Henry Ford Community College. Teaching was another passion of his as it gave him a way to support other people, which is core to who he was as a person. It was in Detroit, on a fateful evening of bowling as part of a Ford Motor Company league, that he met his wife Josephine. Doug successfully won over not only Josephine, but her two older brothers – Angelo and Frank – which was no small task. Doug and Josephine married shortly thereafter in 1970 and bought their first house in Clawson, MI. They would go on to have their three children – Todd, Brad and Jason – and Doug would continue his focus on the family with the time he would spend with Josephine and their three boys. Family is what defined Doug, as he put all of his time and energy towards his wife and raising his three boys. Doug coached or was part of just about every sport the boys played from an early age – particularly in baseball. He ultimately became commissioner of the league. As a coach, he connected not only with his sons, but with so many of their friends – bringing his level of calm, confidence, and fairness to so many kids in the community. Doug also forged lifetime friendships with neighbors in Farmington Hills, MI, where he and Josephine raised the boys. The Rolling Oaks 'Craft group' became a group of friends that to this day get together and share memories and good times. Later, as the boys grew older, Doug and Josephine took their level of family support on the road as the boys ended up in college in Evanston, Illinois and Princeton, New Jersey. It was not uncommon for Doug and Josephine to be on the road 10 or more weekends each fall, driving between Michigan, Illinois and New Jersey in order to see as many games as possible of their sons. Their love of family and support of their sons knew no boundaries. In retirement, Doug and Josephine first moved to a lake house in Michigan, as being on the water was always a dream of Doug’s. Whether it was taking ‘cruises’ on their boat with the family or getting up early to go fishing, Doug loved being on the water. And of course, this was another way to take care of his family as it continued to grow. Taking the boys, and eventually his grandkids on boat rides or fishing trips, was a passion of his – giving memories to each of the wonderful times they spent together. Doug and Josephine eventually moved to Canton, Georgia in 2014, joining the Soleil community, and now living be closer to their sons and grandchildren. In Soleil, Doug made many new friends, joining the Cooking club and Gardening club. Doug loved his garden and especially grooming his dahlias, which are particularly fickle. He played cards regularly with his friends in Soleil, and even taught bridge to groups of them. Soleil brought many years of joy to Doug, as did living near his family. Doug had many wonderful years being close to their sons and being part of his grandchildren’s life. For Doug, this was particularly special. Having lost his father at a young age, it meant everything to him to be part of his grandchildren’s life. Doug was strong, confident, and kept relatively quiet when in groups of people. But when you did talk to him one on one, he would open and up and share wonderful stories, and take genuine interest in anyone he spoke to. He expressed his love by providing – always being there for his family and always giving every bit of energy he had towards other people. He was seemingly incapable of doing anything solely for himself. It was only later in life, after much coaxing from his sons, that would he treat himself with anything that seemed like a ‘splurge’ – the last being his beloved Mach E Mustang that he bought recently. Doug will be greatly missed by his family and everyone that knew him. He leaves a legacy of kindness, strength, love and focus on the family. We can honor his legacy by being kind to others, by taking care of others, and by thinking of others before thinking of ourselves. Doug lived a life that eluded so many other people – raising his loving family and spending a lifetime with his wife, Josephine. He now rests peacefully having lived a full life. In lieu of flowers or gifts, we ask that if you wish to give, please give to one of the charities below that Doug supported: 1) Donate to Cancer research - https://donate.nfcr.org/a/honor-and-memorial-gifts 2) Donate to STEM education - https://donate.code.org/give/172233/#!/donation/checkout Private Family Services will be livestreamed at 4:00PM Friday August 27, 2021. The livestream link is below. The Livestream link is: https://vimeo.com/event/1226957

Tributes

Douglas Pawlowski

January 9, 1943 - August 21, 2021