Edward Joseph Filipiak

On Monday June 27, 2022, shortly after noon on a perfect summer day, God called home Edward J Filipiak, a kind and gentle man. Ed passed away at home in Sterling Heights, peacefully, surrounded by family, including his cherished wife of 71 years, Ann.
Eddie was born on November 23,1924 in Hamtramck to Aleks and Stella (nee Laskowski) Filipiak, the 3rd of what would become 7 sons.
Along with three of his brothers, he is a WWII hero, drafted into the military and enlisting in the Army Air Corps. He became a medic and served on Okinawa in a unit that was deployed to build air fields. Ed was still stationed on Okinawa when Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed.
He worked at Chrysler as a tool maker, retiring after 30 years from Mound Road Engine Plant and forever after had a Chrysler product in his garage.
On April 7, 1951 he married the love of his life, Anna Waskan, at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Detroit.
They bought the small house on Hasse Street next door to Ann's parents and across the street from Ed's, and there began their life together, raising their 3 children, Donna, Nancy (Dennis Krzeminski), and David (Charleen Nicholson), Never a summer passed when they didn't take a road trip vacation. If there was a roadside attraction advertised on a billboard one of them wanted to see, he was ready and willing to enjoy it with them, no matter how silly it was!
He raised those children with great love and patience, never too busy or bothered to answer their same questions dozens of times. Every question they asked was treated with respect and an opportunity to teach them something, be it how to use a crescent wrench, what a "balk" is, or how to draw out trump in pinochle. But the most important thing he taught them was what it means to be a family and how to love unconditionally. Until the very end he was teaching them and they are forever grateful to have had the honor and privilege to demonstrate that love as his struggles became harder, greater, and more frequent.
Ed loved going to casinos. Be it in Vegas, Mt Pleasant, or Manistee you could find him playing video poker or walking the casino floor looking for a lucky penny slot machine.
He loved fixing things, doing things for his family, putzing in the yard, and cakes, cookies, and pies.
But above all else he adored his wife, Ann, with whom he shares a forever love.
Later in life he became interested in genealogy and researched the Filipiak/Laskowski family tree from one apparent dead end to another. His children promise to continue looking for info on Urzula Laskowska, the one aunt whose story he was never able to complete.
and now he is reunited with his heavenly family. They've been waiting for him for a long time so that they could get that family poker game started and watch Edziu break-even once again. His earthly family is overjoyed that they were able to keep him from them for so long.
He's listening to polkas, watching the Detroit Tigers, eating a donut, looking for butterflies, and searching heaven for Urzula to get the conclusion to her story.
His family and friends will forever have a hole in their lives that he used to fill but their hearts will be forever filled with love and thanks to him for being the kind of person we should all aspire to be.
Visitation Thursday June 30th from 3 to 9pm with a 7pm Rosary service at Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons 36900 Schoenherr at Metro Parkway (16 Mile Rd). Funeral Friday instate 9am at St. Rene Goupil Catholic Church 35955 Ryan (Btw 15 & 16 Mile Rds) until time of Mass 9:30am. Interment Resurrection Cemetery. Memorial contributions in Edward's honor would be appreciated to either; Mid Michigan Honor Flight, www.midmichiganhonorflight.org or to Detroit Goodfellows, www.detroitgoodfellows.org. Share memories with the family at their "On-Line Guest Book" @ WujekCalcaterra.com.