Richard "Rick" Casimer Prusinowski's Obituary
Richard “Rick” Casimer Prusinowski, age 77 of Royal Oak, MI, formerly of Clawson, passed away on February 8, 2022 at home. He was born on June 29, 1944 in Detroit, Michigan to Casimer and Bernice (Niemasz) Prusinowski.
Rick lived a full life and was loved dearly by family and friends. He is survived by his children, Amy (Mike) DeLong and Tim Prusinowski; grandchildren, Olivia, Michael, Tim and Max; sister Carol Gustafson, brother Marv Prusinowski, dear friend Peggy Brissette and his furry granddogs Pepper and frequent companion Chip.
Rick worked as a tool and die maker, predominantly at Richard & Trute and General Motors. He started his career in high school and was a proud UAW member for almost 30 years, retiring in 2006. He was most proud of the several patents he received for his work at GM.
Outside of work, Rick enjoyed and was an accomplished guitarist. He loved to play country, bluegrass and the blues and played with many well-known studio musicians. He met his idol, Chet Atkins, was invited to Motown studios and met Berry Gordy and his band played back-up for Brenda Lee in Detroit.
At this point, Rick would insert a magic trick or joke to be sure you are all entertained. He might also share a story about a great hunt or adventure he took, an amazing read from his piles of books, the latest wood carving or leather project he was creating, or an amazing fish tale on Sailbad the Sinner, his boat that he has not been on nearly enough. Then he would switch course and tell you how proud he is of his kids and heroes (grandchildren) and reminisce with you about how you made his life grand. He took none of this for granted and as he got older, appreciated small gestures of kindness and made sure you knew how much it meant to him.
Rick will be honored in a memorial/celebration of life later this year where we may attempt to make his infamous pierogi or mix you an amazing drink.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Michigan United Conservation Clubs, located at this link: https://mucc.org/
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