Santo Anthony Audia

Santo Anthony Audia, 84, of Sterling Heights, Michigan died peacefully the morning of May 13, 2025, at McLaren Macomb hospital. He was born in Holden, West Virginia on November 9, 1940, the third of four children born to immigrant parents from Italy, Giuseppe and Angelina Audia.

Santo grew up poor in coal country West Virginia. There, his father, after serving in WWI (yes One!) and bringing his young wife from Italy to America, worked in the mines. Santo’s mother baked bread to trade for goods to keep her family sustained. Santo developed a very special place in his heart for his mother, who he called “an Angel”. He admired her strength, selflessness, and strong work ethic as she lovingly raised her four children Francesco, Filomena, Santo and Sam. Santo went on to emulate these generous traits in all he pursued.

The family moved to Detroit in the early 1950’s where Santo found employment at Sears in the tire and brake department. It was the start to a successful 35-year career in which he regularly held top salesman awards. Santo’s success in sales was attributed to his authentic approach to customers and his genuine concern for their well-being. If a customer couldn’t afford or manage installation or delivery, for example, he would do it for them. He valued relationships over sales and helped many people with his time, talents and most importantly, his friendship.

Santo met the love of his life, Geraldine Winiarski on a blind date and they married one year later on August 14, 1965. 60 years! In June of 1966, their son Joseph was born and their daughter Kristine followed in January of 1971. Santo loved his family fiercely and enjoyed spending time with them more than any other activity. Santo and Gerri were amazing parents. They were certainly not perfect all the time but there was absolutely no question of the unconditional love and understanding that existed. They were stable parents. The sky was never falling and there was never a problem that couldn’t be solved. Santo taught us NOT to be victims but always to be WARRIORS. Pushing his children and grandchildren to work outside of their comfort zone to see opportunities that others couldn’t see.

Santo was a self-taught jack of many trades and talents including building and repairing anything and everything; skills Including, but not limited to, woodwork, plumbing, tiling, auto repair, furniture refinishing, and anything to do with home remodeling. There was not a project, repair or installation of anything he could not do. However, the grout lines of his tile jobs were perhaps not quite straight or an extra drill hole in a storm door that he was installing. Santo used these skills to help many people, using his talents to assist friends and relatives who could not do this work themselves, or afford to have it done. He was a very driven man with a work ethic that was unmatched.

Santo’s work ethic and talents made possible the many other ventures he pursued in order to support his family. While employed at Sears, he began a repossessed home cleaning service with his friend and co-worker, Bill Brickley. This turned into a rental property business of over 15 homes which he, Bill, and Gerri managed for 25 years. Again, Santo used his gifts to help others, providing affordable housing to many people and working with tenants who could not always afford to make their payments on time (or at all).

After Bill Brickley passed away from cancer in 1997, Santo and Gerri sold off their rental homes and began a lawn irrigation business. Santo partnered with Dwight Lindstrom, another Sears co-worker, to build this business serving over 700 customers in the greater metro Detroit Area. After 25 years, and passing on his customers to two other groups of friends to continue on the business, Santo could not stop. He continued installing and servicing lawn irrigation systems with anyone who would go along, all the way up until last year! At that time, his health was declining to the point where he had difficulty standing and even staying awake, but his neighbor and friend Scott Troszak took him to job sites and cared for him while he gave instructions on what work had to be done.

He was always working but it wasn’t for the money. It was the for the commitment to his customers and more importantly it was the opportunity that the job represented. As he was a hard worker, he loved harder. His wife, his children, grandkids, siblings, nieces and nephews were his top priority and he would literally do anything at any time for them. His pride for his family was immense and all he wanted to talk about. He always wanted people around him and in his home. Santo Audia was a large presence in any room. He was the epitome of the American Dream. With only an 8th grade education he was typically the smartest guy in the room as he used the school of life for his knowledge and his basic instinct of hard work and treating everyone he met not just as a friend but as his family.

Santo was a bull in a China shop, the slowest driver and the worst parker of his vehicles and perhaps wearing clothes that should have been washed 2 days prior. He was persistently late, always on “Santo Time”. If he said he was going to be a half an hour, prepare for it to be 2 hours, making everyone around him crazy. There was something about him that just made all of this okay, and more loveable.

His demeanor was rough around the edges but his heart was pure gold. He would give you the shirt off his back but you better believe that he got it on sale as he was always chasing down a deal or figuring out how to save a buck.

Santo has left a legacy of generosity, having helped many people in his 84 years. His name means saint, and he certainly is one! He will be missed profoundly by his family and the many people whose life he so positively impacted.

Santo is survived by his wife Geraldine Betty Audia (Winiarski); son Joseph Audia (Kathryn); daughter Kristine Brehm; grandchildren Claire, Anthony and Ellen Audia, Colin, Aidan and Adeline Brehm; Siblings, Francesco Audia, Filomena Yaquinto (Audia), and Sam Audia; and many in-laws, nieces, nephews and cousins.

Visitation for Santo will be held on Sunday, May 18th from 2:00pm -5:00pm at D.S. Temrowski and Sons Funeral Home, 30009 Hoover Road, Warren, MI 48093. He will lie in state on Monday, May 19th from 8:30am until the time of his Funeral Mass at 9:30am at St. Blase Parish, 12151 15 Mile Rd, Sterling Heights, MI 48312.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Santo's name are appreciated to the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, 1820 Mount Elliot St, Detroit, MI 48207. (https://www.cskdetroit.org/)

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