Mr. Eugene S. Romanow

Mr. Eugene S. Romanow was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Eugene was born on September 9, 1913 at home in Warsaw, Poland. His parents were Paul and Jajina Romanow. Eugene was raised in Detroit, Michigan. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

Growing up in the Romanow household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Eugene was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and he was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Eugene was raised with seven. He had three younger sisters, and three younger brothers. Eugene was constantly involved in activities with his brothers and sisters. Eugene and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Eugene was always consistently loyal to his family.

As a young child, Eugene was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. Eugene developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. In his spare time he liked baseball. However, what Eugene enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with his many friends.

Eugene attended Cass Tech High School, while his teachers and even his friends generally thought of Eugene as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Eugene was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. Eugene always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

Always considered to be a solid friend, Eugene was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during his life. Since he disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw his own conclusions based on direct observation, Eugene was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew him. He was committed to his friends and valued the trust he placed in them. It was not uncommon for Eugene to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought him out for advice because he had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. While growing up, some of his best friends were Phil De' Angelo and John Kaufka. Later in life, he became friends with George Seefeld and Frank, his neighbor.

Compassionate and devoted to Sophia Krol, Eugene held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. Eugene married Sophia Krol on september 30, 1939, at Our Lady Help of Christians. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment. He was a source of strength to Sophia and using his gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, he worked hard to make his new family happy.

Eugene brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Eugene was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Eugene was blessed with three children, two daughters, Janice and Corinne, and one son, Eugene John. They were also blessed with six grandchildren, four grandsons, Basil, Kevin, David, and Rob; and two granddaughters, Kristen and Kelly.

Eugene greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Eugene enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Eugene was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was working in the Leader Tool Inspection Department. He was employed for Ford Motor Company for 35 years. Eugene worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Eugene liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, Eugene always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were reading, watching car races, watching boxing, loved to dance, and loved to travel. Eugene was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

Eugene found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. In high school, Eugene played baseball. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were baseball, football, car racing, and boxing.

Many organizations were grateful to have Eugene as a member, since he always brought with him a “stick to it” attitude and a high degree of common sense. Using straightforward methods to successfully complete the job, Eugene was a great planner who was incredibly well organized. It seemed that he was able to schedule any event or activity with ease. He always seemed to know exactly what needed to be done. Throughout his later years, Eugene was an active member of the Knights of Columbus, Eagles Club, and a UAW member.

As a man who always showed great commitment to the things he believed in, it’s little wonder that Eugene was so active in his community. Being practical and mentally disciplined, Eugene preferred to base his decisions on first-hand experiences. Eugene was never afraid to roll up his sleeves and dig right in. Politically, Eugene was independent.

Eugene was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member of St. Paul of Tarsus for 20 years. He was a sympathetic man who valued his beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

Eugene enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Eugene appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, Eugene always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included Hawaii, Branson Missouri, and Florida.

When Eugene’s retirement finally arrived in 1978, he was well prepared. His new life involved staying in Michigan, close to his family. In retirement, he found new pleasure in traveling and danced regularly at different clubs. Even in retirement, Eugene continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his new community and felt fulfilled.

Mr. Eugene S. Romanow passed away on July 2, 2010 at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Clinton Township, Michigan. Eugene died suddenly from a massive brain hemorrhage during his sleep. He is survived by his wife Sophia; children Janice (Bob) Lund, Corinne Dickinson, and the late Eugene John; six grandchildren; Basil, Kevin, David, Rob, Kristen, and Kelly, six great grandchildren;Meghan, Shane, Taylor, Garrett, Grace, Eugene, Morgan, and Kailey. Visitation will be Tuesday 11:00AM until time of service 1:00PM at Resurrection Funeral Home 40800 Hayes Road, Clinton Township. Eugene will be laid to rest in Resurrection Cemetery, in Clinton Township, Michigan.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Mr. Eugene S. Romanow. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.