Richard Julian Iwanski

Richard "Julian" Iwanski Age 87, passed away on Thursday, September 15, 2016 and was born on the east side of Detroit on June 20, 1929. He was the sixth child of eight- four boys and four girls, two of whom- Florence and Helen have survived him. He married Joan Rita Zgliczynski on May 15, 1950 and proceeded to have seven children ~ Jerald, John, James, Jeffrey, Jeanette, Joseph (Deceased) and JoAnn. He is survived by twelve grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. Richard graduated from Wilbur Wright High School in Detroit and worked several jobs. These jobs included working as a mechanic for Detroit Bus System until he settled in at Woodall Industries in Detroit, where he worked on developing prototypes for many various products. After that he moved on to AMC, which was taken over by Chrysler, where he finished his career creating clay mockups of their various automobiles. Richard was a remarkably skilled craftsman and mechanically inclined. He built and modified two cars, crafted cabinets and other furniture, and even added a room to his house. Repairing appliances - both his own and his kids- was a regular "hobby", as well as brake jobs, water and fuel pump replacements. He actually found time for real hobbies. He was an accomplished photographer and set up his own darkroom for developing prints and slides. He was an amateur magician, fabricating his own ticks and putting on shows for family and friends. He converted a van so that he and Joan could travel the country. Joan and Richard constantly enrolled in dance lessons and hit the local dance clubs where he "boogied" to "Foxy Lady" and "Purple Haze." His children were the envy of the neighborhood when he built them a two man tank that could travel by pedal power, but especially at Halloween when his skills and imagination created the likes of paper mache heads, latex masks, and cardboard and tin foil suits of armor. When his children grew, he turned to creating Halloween fun houses in the garage and yard to delight the neighborhood children and adults. Richard came to enjoy playing cards with his family (which he shunned for years, most probably because of the decibel levels reached whenever his kids got together for games) even though he never could get the hang of "trumping low and leading high." He was kind, loving, and generous soul always ready to lend a hand. He was a dear father and constant loving companion to Joan for sixty-seven years. The world has lost a fine man. He was also the funniest guy you could hang around with. A Memorial Visitation and Memorial Mass will be held on Tuesday, September 20, 2016 at St. Lawrence Catholic Church, 44633 Utica Road (Btwn Van Dyke and M-59), Utica from 11:30 am until time of mass at 12 (Noon)

Richard Julian Iwanski

June 20, 1929 - September 15, 2016