Frederick Anthony Samrah Jr., of Troy, Michigan, passed away on August 24, 2019. He was born in Detroit, Michigan on January 29, 1937 and attended public school through eighth grade; first living his childhood years on Maine Street near Our Mother of Consolation Catholic Church where he served as an Alter Boy and started his baseball career in the parking lot. His grandfather’s pool hall was down the street on Davison where Fred would work after school. His family then moved to Parkhurst east of Woodward and across the street from Palmer Park. Fred attended Catholic Central High School where he graduated with the class of 1954. Fred played short stop for two years with the Blue and White and was a founding member of the Hawthorne Athletic Club where he continued to play baseball as a young adult. Fred had a passion for all sports. His favorite sports growing up as a youngster in Detroit were baseball and hockey where he often attended Tigers and Red Wings games.
He married his life-long wife Madeline on November 10, 1956 shortly after beginning what eventually became a 51-year management career working for Chrysler Corporation. Fred literally started in the mail room and slowly climbed his way up through the organization’s Engineering division; first in the truck area and then across the entire product line before retiring in 1992. Fred and Madeline built their first house in Warren and raised a family of four who would visit Grandma’s house every Sunday for extended family dinners, walks through Palmer Park and Fred’s Softball games with Knights of Columbus and Dodge Truck Engineering. In 1985, they built their second home in north west Troy where Fred remained a life-long resident watching his grandchildren grow and corn fields being transformed into Somerset Mall, office towers and new neighbors. Fred continued his passion for sports working-out daily and shifting his competitive energy from baseball and hockey to golf. He was an avid golfer for many years and a USGA Member who enjoyed traveling across America on many a golf trips with either Madeline, friends or work associates.
He was a long-time member of the Chrysler Management Club, Elks Club and Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Auburn Hills Michigan. Fred is survived by his wife, Madeline; his daughter Debbie (Bill) and grandchildren, Erik and Eron Rock; his son, Gordon Samrah; his son, Robert (Sue) and grandchildren, Rachel (Mike) Ross, Emily, and Jillian Samrah; his son, Thomas (Yanrong) and grandchildren, Matthew and Michael Samrah. A Memorial Mass will be held Saturday, September 14, 2019, at St. Hugo of the Hills Parish, Stone Chapel, 2215 Opdyke Rd., Bloomfield Hills, MI, at 11 AM. Please follow the link to see a map of the church's campus, https://www.sthugo.org.
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