Kathleen Mielock

Kathleen Mielock, age 95, of Bloomfield Hills, MI passed away peacefully on Nov. 15.
Katie was born in Detroit on June 9, 1930, to Patrick Clark & Catherine (Stack) Clark. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Edward Mielock and siblings Genevieve "Fran" Abraham, Thomas Clark & Rosemary Dermody. She was born and raised in Detroit and attended St. Cecilia Catholic school for all 12 years.
She met her husband Ed at age 16 at the post office where they were both working. She married him at age 20 and had two of her nine children by the time she graduated from the University of Detroit in 1953 with a Bachelor of Science degree in business, one of only two women graduating with a business degree.
Katie's greatest passions in life were her family and her Catholic faith. She was a devout Catholic, a daily communicant, and considered this to be the source of her strength. Together with Ed they would create a family of nine children built on their shared faith. She was a loving mother to Denny (Patti Reid), Karen (Bob) Heuer, Pat (Glenn) Deibert, Mike, Maureen (Jim) Hoste, Eddie, John, Jean (Doug) Sanders, and Kathy (Dan) Carroll. She is also grandmother to 22, and great-grandmother to 34.
Her life was marked by deep devotion to her family as well as service to others, always ready to help others when she saw a need as well as lending a listening ear to many who sought her advice, dispensing wisdom with her kind and luminous eyes. She had a gift for hospitality and frequently hosted meals for large groups, wanting to include extended family and anyone who needed a place to go.
In her teenage years she knitted argyle wool socks that were donated to the servicemen in World War II. She and Ed were founding members of St. Owen Catholic Church in Bloomfield Township. She was busy in the early years raising her ever-expanding family yet always found time to volunteer. She was the first sacristan at St. Owen, taking on the responsibility of laundering and ironing all the church linens and vestments because it was a way she could give back while remaining at home to care for her family. She was a 61-year member of Christ Child Society, which operates a foster home for boys, volunteering in many different capacities including teaching the boys and doing the bookkeeping. She also spent many years volunteering for Synanon, counseling many with alcohol and drug addictions. She was active with the Boy Scouts, volunteering to create Christmas wreaths with the scouts and overseeing the sales. She also spent years volunteering with Head Start in Pontiac, a federally funded program for early childhood education, teaching young children.
When her youngest child was nine, she went back to school at Wayne State University and graduated in 1976 with a Master's in Science in Guidance & Counseling and earned her MSW becoming a licensed social worker. She worked for the State of Michigan for 20 years specializing in mental health and child protective services, working in the city of Detroit. Her vocation as a mother, and in her professional life as a social worker were both, for her, a calling and a ministry of love.
Katie was fun and loved a good party, delighting others with her choice of Halloween costumes. She loved and embraced her Irish heritage, and she loved to dance. At age 59, she learned Ceili (Irish folk dancing) at the Gaelic League in Detroit from her cousin Kitty Heinzman who led the group. She was involved with the group for years as they performed at many different venues.
At 85, she decided to write her memoir "Katie Mielock, My Life Journey" that was published. In her later years, the memoir, intended to be a gift for her children, became a gift to herself, reading it often as her own memories faded. She leaves behind a legacy of faith, compassion and love. In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes may go to Christ Child Society, 502 N. Crooks Rd., Clawson, MI 48017.
Funeral Mass will be Thurs. Nov 20 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Owen Catholic Church, 6869 Franklin Rd., Bloomfield Hills. Visitation begins at church at 10:00 a.m.