William Buczkowski

The son of William and Jennie (Smolinski) Buczkowski was born in Rogers City on February 18, 1939.

At age 17, Bill enlisted in the United States Navy where he sailed on the destroyer, USS Arnold J. Isbell. While aboard he earned the title of Golden Shellback before his return to Rogers City where he met Jeanette Francis Budnik. They married on August 18, 1962. Bill spent 30+ years working at the Calcite Quarry before he retired in 1992. Not one to sit around too long, he co-founded Great Lakes Conveyor Belt, Inc. soon after and retired for a second time in 1998. His second retirement consisted of many trips to the casino with Jeanette and planting a massive garden that they would harvest for canning each summer. Bill’s pride and joy was his family. You could often find him and Jeannette parked in the outfield at softball games, helping build or tinker at camp or their children’s homes, or sitting down to somehow always win a game of cards.

Bill loved to shoot the breeze over a Diet Coke at one of the local watering holes and luck always seemed to be on his side when he would play Keno or got ahold of some scratch-off tickets. He was an avid Detroit Tigers and Detroit Lions fan and made sure he always knew what channel to find the game on. Bill was also a member of the Rogers City Servicemen’s Club and Rogers City Knights of Columbus. With potato peeler in hand, he assisted Jeanette for many years at the Posen Potato Festival Pancake Dinner for the St. Casimir’s Rosary Sodality.

Bill is survived by his three children: Steven Buczkowski, Terry (Laurie) Buczkowski, and Ann Marie (Greg) Main; grandchildren, Leanne (Nathon) Kovach, Holly Buczkowski, Amy (Ian) Hickerson, Parker Buczkowski and step-grandchildren Monica (Conrad) Linehan, David (Kim) Main, Sarah (Jason) Gruenberg, Mark (Ana) Main, 10 great-grandchildren and 4 grand puppies. He is also survived by his brothers Ed (Mary) Buczkowski and Jim (Carol) Buczkowski and sisters-in-law Blanche Buczkowski and Janet Garant, brothers-in-law Larry (Barb) Budnik, George Budnik, and Emil (Pat) Budnik, and in-laws Doris Budnik, Anne Buckner, Judy DeYoung,

Joan Budnik, Clara Budnik and Bill Grzeskowiak.

Preceding Bill in death is his wife Jeanette, his parents and parents-in-law Theophilus and Antoinette (Strzelecki) Budnik; brothers Ralph, Norman and Eugene (Norma) Buczkowski; sisters Madeline (Larry) Knapp, Delores (Richard) LeBarge, Gladys (Jerry) Raukenberg and baby sister Janice Buczkowski; in-laws Aloysius, Clarence, Florian, Patrick (Becky), Alphonse, Phil, Leon, and Mitchell Budnik, Charlotte (Louis) Darga, Bernadine (Tom) Lewandowski, Elaine Grzeskowiak, and Annette Budnik and grand puppy, Maggi.

Friends and family may visit the Beck Funeral Home on Thursday, August 7 from 4-8 p.m. with rosary at 6:30 p.m. and a prayer service at 7 p.m. Visitation will resume on Friday, August 8 at St. Casimir Catholic Church from 10 a.m. until time of Mass at 11 a.m. with Fr. Charles Donajkowski officiating.

Posen VFW will offer a military tribute immediately following Mass and a luncheon will follow.

Memorials may be given in memory of Bill to the Posen First Responders and St. Casimir Catholic Church.

The family extends deepest gratitude to the staff of Primrose and Optimal Care Hospice for their overwhelming support and compassionate care of Bill and Jeanette during their time in Midland.

Online condolences may be addressed through www.beckfuneralhome.org.