Baldassare Ben Parisi

Baldassare Parisi age 78 of Macomb, MI. Passed away at home February 19, 2014. He was born November 29, 1935 in Sicily, Italy. He retired from Chrysler Corporation. Family members said he loved gardening and had a green thumb and could grow anything. He worked very hard as a spark welder at Chrysler to provide the best for his family. Baldassare came to America at the age of 18 from Sicily to help his family have a better life. He met Vita while working in New York. He is survived by his loving wife Vita; his children Cathy (Jim) Lasak and Rose (Gary Sharp); two grand daughters Lea and Julia; and his favorite pet, Wesley. He was the surviving brother of Josephine Cipollina. Visitation will be Friday, 2:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. with a rosary at 7:00 p.m. at Resurrection Funeral Home, 40800 Hayes, Clinton Township, MI 48038, and Saturday 11:30 a.m. until time of mass Noon, at St. Therese of Lisieux Catholic Community, (Schoenherr north of 21 Mile Road), Shelby Township, MI. Entombment at Resurrection Cemetery, Clinton Township, MI.

When Baldassare Parisi walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Ben was and how he impacted those around him. Ben was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Ben wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Ben was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

Ben was born on November 29, 1935 at in his home in Siculiana, Sicily. He was the son of Dominic and Caterina. Ben was raised in Sicily, and then he came to New York at age 19. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Ben might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Ben was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

Ben was raised with three siblings, and one twin who died as a baby. Pasquale, Frances, and Josephine. Ben was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Ben was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Ben well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.

As a young boy, Ben was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Ben was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Ben took part in soccer. Ben's memorable achievements included reading about politics and learning about what was going on in other countries. Ben had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.

During his high school years, Ben responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. Ben was a very good student, and generally did well in his courses. Ben absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using his imagination to master his assignments. For Ben, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Ben a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything. His favorite class in high school was math. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was Miss Piru.

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Ben was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Ben was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. While growing up, some of his best friends were Paul and Joe D'Anna. Later in life, he became friends with Paul and Joe D'Anna, Pete Alongi, Paul Bommarito, Gaspare Parrinello.

Ben's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to make his new family happy. He was quite sensitive towards Vita's needs, showing his constant concern and fondness. Ben was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family.

Ben was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Ben, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Parisi home. Ben's skill at understanding his children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Ben was blessed with two children: two daughters, Rosamarie and Caterina. They were also blessed with two granddaughters, Lea and Julia.

Ben was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was a spark welder, and he also worked as a barber. He was employed for 25 years at Chrysler. Ben was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Ben had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Ben's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

Because Ben loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were gardening and reading. Ben had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Ben's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Ben derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. Recreational sports included Bocci ball. Ben was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were soccer and boxing.

Throughout his life, Ben was actively involved in professional and community organizations. He was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Ben seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Ben usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with him, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. Throughout his later years, Ben was an active member of the Figli della Sicilia.

Though he never did anything solely for individual recognition, Ben's ingenuity, resourcefulness, and selflessness, earned him accolades for his many lifelong efforts. Some of his most prestigious awards included Appreciation Award for many years of loyal service at Chrysler.

Ben's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Ben took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Favorite vacations included visiting family in New York and Sicily.

Ben was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Wesley, a Westhighland Terrier, was a best friend for 11 years. His family was rounded out by his German Shepherd, King; and his Yorkie, Spanky.

When Ben's retirement finally came in 1992, Ben handled it the way he usually did. He adapted and, like everything in his life, made it satisfying. Because he was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for Ben to master. In retirement, he found new pleasure in seeing his friends; he was very social. Even in retirement, Ben continued to stay in touch with his old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

Ben Parisi passed away on February 19, 2014 at In his home. He is survived by his wife, Vita; his children, Rosamarie and Caterina; his granddaughters, Lea and Julia; and his sister, Josephine. Services were held at St. Therese of Lisieux. Ben was laid to rest in Resurrection Cemetery in Clinton Township, Michigan.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Ben. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Ben Parisi for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Ben was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.