Joseph Gerald Sobczak

Joseph (Joe) Gerald Sobczak

Howell - Joseph (Joe) Gerald Sobczak of Howell passed away on April 5, 2020 at the age of 79 due to heart failure. Joe was the second of four children born to Henry and Elsie in Detroit, MI on March 4, 1941. He is predeceased by siblings Henry (Hank) and James (Jim) and survived by his sister Denise (Stearns). He is also survived by his beloved wife of 37 years, Marie (Ziola), and his children, Sandi (Anderson) and Michael. Joe was a stepfather to Teresa (Murrish) and Bernadette (Gjoka), and was a devoted grandfather of Jenna, Zak, Steven, Aaron Ziola and Garrett Murrish.

Joe went to Our Lady Queen of Heaven in Detroit for middle school. He attended Pershing High School in Detroit, was a member of the varsity football team and graduated in 1959. He later attended Western Michigan and Laurence Technical University. He married his first wife, Josie (Dombrowski), in 1965. He worked for Hoover Tool and Die in Warren, becoming a journeyman machine repairman. He also was part owner of the family businesses, Gino's Bar (later the Snapshot Lounge) and the Falcon Lanes. In the late seventies, he owned and operated the Valley View Country Club in Shephard, MI. He relocated back to Detroit in 1979, where he met and married Marie in 1983. Joe and Marie moved to Howell in 1991. He worked as a machine repairman for General Motors starting in 1979 and worked there until he retired in 2005. He loved playing golf, discussing politics, crossword puzzles and spending time with his family.

A memorial service will be announced at a later date.