George C. Keerl Sr.

George was born to Florence and Adolf Keerl in Highland Park, Michigan. He grew up with his siblings Dorothy and Fred. His fondest memories of youth were of Cass Lake where George learned to swim, water ski, wakeboard and became great at going slalom. He and his siblings enjoyed the many days on the water on Cass Lake; all the laughs and even meeting his first wife. George would tell stories of how he could down a half gallon of white milk and chocolate as a teenager after school. George’s philosophy was a busy mind is a healthy mind, and that you could do anything you put your mind to if you worked hard enough. A hustler from boyhood, he bought his first boat at age 7 by working paper routes. He prided himself in the fact that he started getting boats and working from a young age through the rest of his life, as these were his passions. I remember when he had a cast on and it didn’t stop him as he built the two garages attached to the boat wells, and went up and down ladders so much that he wore a hole through the bottom of cast.

Boat Magnificant Mermaid/ Lilliana

One of George’s oldest friends was his 46 foot wooden yacht, on which he spent many hours lovingly upkeeping and restoring. George loved to spend time with his family on his boat. Most vacations involved this boat for many decades. There were many trips anywhere from Sanilac, Harrisville, St Clair, Port Huron, Lexington, and Put-In-Bay. Mackinac trip was one of the longest trips on the yacht George stopped in several ports and oops as one was missed and he navigated farther due to the fog. This trip was about 2 weeks and enjoyed tremendously by all including his first grandchild, Arrua on her first big trip on the yacht in her playpen. One of the most memorable to his children was Bobalo & Cedar Point. As we were leaving Bobalo, Jeannie remembers waking up to her head hitting the bunk above her. She lovingly recalls going up into the cabin to sit with her father as he maneuvered through ten foot rollers, or waves to the non-boater. He was a calm, smart captain. His children fondly remember dad having them sit on the bow observing for wood and helping navigate on foggy trips. Some of the most frequent and fun trips were going to Strawberry Island and St Clair as well as weekends in the Marina at Metro Beach. His yacht proved to be a truly fairytale setting for the beautiful wedding of his oldest daughter, Joyce, on Lake St. Clair.

George’s Nine Lives

George truly had 9 lives. Although he would state with surety that he would not live past the age of 60, he persistently survived and overcame every obstacle that got in his way. He loved to ride motorcycles when younger but after breaking clavicle bone he stopped riding only to return to it at about 70. He passed this passion for motorcycles on to his children Mike, Linda, and Jeannie, as well as Joyce with her husband Galen.

An electrician by trade, he was blown up in a dust explosion while working on a high-voltage junction box and sustained extensive burns to his face and body. Against all odds, he survived these burns with skin grafts and experimental treatments. His feet were saved by his heavy duty work boots.

Many a times, George faced dangerous situations on the water, that had they survived, would scare many captains into a more land loving hobby. On one normal boating weekend George Jr. left on the dockside water and it broke, flooding the interior of his beloved yacht with water. George, Jr. screamed and George Sr came running out of the aft cabin and took charge yelling for it to be shut it off, as the boat was half sunk. The family all pitched in to bail, recover the boat, and avoid drowning.

In the 1980’s, while operating one of many stores he owned in Hamtramck, George was confronted by an armed robber who fired a gun at him. He tumbled to avoid the bullet but was hit in the stomach by the second shot resulting in loss of part of his stomach and damage to the nerves that control his leg. He battled back from paralysis. Although he continued to have pain and difficulties with his leg due to nerve damage, he never let it slow him down or prevent him from working.

He had an unexpected heart bypass in Dec of 1995 just after his daughter Jeannie was married. Several of his children piled in a small car to drive to Florida to be there for his surgery.

George started a new life with Lillian in 1987, after the chapter ended with the mother of his children. Moving to Hamtramack with Lillian, he had a new focus for working and staying busy that he so loved…remodeling several buildings in Hamtramack. With Lillian and his father-in-law, Rod, and Marianne, George would tear apart walls to renovate apartments and tar the roofs. Then we opened the bakery thrift store and we would get bread from the outlet places; check the bread from the shelfs for mold to the point we would dream about it.

Lillian was the love his life. They enjoyed homes in St Clair Shores, Michigan and Punta Gorda, Florida. George loved boating throughout his lifetime. He enjoyed his boats in both Michigan and Florida. In Florida, he especially loved his pool and orange trees. George and Lillian loved spending time with friends playing cards and enjoying food. For several years, George and Lillian took his mom with them for Winters in Florida. Father’s day was always a special day over the last 10 years at his house with children, grandchildren, and his sister Dorothy. The most recent joy was dad getting to captain a boat on Sunday’s this summer, which was his glory and happy spot. He was a kind-hearted person that to the last day alive worked on the boat wells, and enjoyed conversations with customers about trailers, boats and the boat wells all while he stood on planks across water between docks to work on the big wooden yachts in his boat wells. His children would sometimes notice that the best conversations with dad were held simultaneous as he worked.

George was so pleased and thankful that he had always expected to die by 52, but the Good Lord had other plans. George Carl Keerl, Sr., of St Clair Shores passed away at 80 years-old on August 23, 2017, while doing what he loved…working with boats. God gave him all this time. George was always the first to point out that every day is a gift! He couldn’t believe God gave him 80 years, but he was so amazed and thankful for this gift.