Mrs. Jean M. Renick

Mrs. Jean M. Renick, age 59 passed away at home August 10, 2010 in Clinton Township. She was born August 22, 1950 in Detroit. She was employed as an accountant for USF & G Insurance. She is survived by her husband Carl; children Jeff (Marlene), and Lisa (Alan); grandchildren Dakota, Rosalee, and Madison; siblings June (Patrick) Brannigan, Joann Waite, Beverly (Dennis) Dudek, Raymond (Shelia) Zembrzycki, and Jeanette (Daniel) Witek; family pet Maggie May. Visitation Saturday 5-8:00PM, Sunday 2-8:00PM Roasary 6:30PM at Resurrection Funeral Home 40800 Hayes Road (s. of 18 mi.) and Monday 9:00AM until time of mass 9:30AM at St. Michael Catholic Community, Sterling Heights, Burial at Resurrection Cemetery.

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

She was the daughter of Stanley and Jean Zembrzycki. Jean was raised in Detroit, Michigan. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Jean might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Jean was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.

Jean was raised with eight siblings. She joins her younger sister Theresa and younger brothers Richard and Stanley and is survived by her older sisters June, Joann, and Beverly, older brother Raymond, and younger sister Jeanette. Jean was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Jean was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Jean well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.

As a young girl, Jean was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Jean was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with her peers. She was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Jean took part in tennis, softball, and swimming. Jean had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity she and the many childhood friends she shared might discover.

During her high school years, Jean responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. She graduated from Northeastern High School in Detroit, Michigan in 1969. Jean was a very good student, and generally did well in her courses. Jean absorbed as much as she could from all of her teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using her imagination to master her assignments. For Jean, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to her ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Jean a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to her to discuss just about anything. She was always proud of being a champion swimmer in high school, leading her to teach her two children to swim at an early age.

Jean did well in college, as a result of her comfort level with tackling new theories and her love of learning. She earned her Associate of Accounting from Macomb Community College. Jean was very adaptable, a quality that helped her make the transition from high school to college with little difficulty. As a result, Jean's problem solving skills and thirst for new knowledge almost guaranteed that she enjoyed virtually every class she took. Jean was always in quest of new things to learn and experience

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought her an endless stream of friends, Jean was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Jean was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. She always seemed aware of what was going on with people around her and throughout her life she made many, friends. While growing up, some of her best friends were Elaine and all of her sisters. Later in life, she became friends with Cathy Onufrak, Virg Debo, Cindy Leckvarcik, Carol Joiner, The Wensons, The Senatores, The Lalondes, The Sibleys and the entire Amberly crew.

On June 28, 1974 Jean married Carl John Renick at St. Hyacinth of Detroit, Michigan. Jean's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in her ability to make her new family happy. She was quite sensitive towards Carl's needs, showing her constant concern and fondness. Jean was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served her well in helping to nurture her family.

Jean was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Jean, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Renick home. Jean's skill at understanding her children's feelings, her sensitivity to their needs, and her gift for gentle persuasion enabled her to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Jean was blessed with two children: her "favorite" son, Jeff, and her "favorite" daughter, Lisa. They were also blessed with two grand-dogs and a grand-cat, her grand-dogs Spooner and Lokii, and her grand-cat Coconut.

Jean was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made her an exceptional worker. Her primary occupation was as an accountant. She was employed for 22 years by USF&G Insurance Company. As a young adult she worked in a bakery on Chene Street and also at Hudson's in Detroit. Jean was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize her. Jean had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of her gift for insight. Jean's fellow workers saw her as a supporter and a mentor.

Because Jean loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were coin collecting, earning pogo badges, playing with her dog, gardening, socializing with friends and family, going on road rallies, and making cakes for friends and family. Jean had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Jean's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Jean derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. Her charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In high school, Jean played tennis, softball, and was a swimmer. Recreational sports included swimming and bowling. Jean was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were watching her children play soccer, even as adults.

Throughout her life, Jean was actively involved in professional and community organizations. She was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Jean 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 Jean usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with her, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. Throughout her later years, Jean was an active member of the childrens' schools, local road rally groups, and sports clubs.

Because Jean was constantly in the center of things and where the action was, she always seemed willing to join in and help, regularly getting involved in community activities. Jean's gift of planning and improvisation, along with a talent for rallying support, made her a great asset. Jean found new ways of getting things done in order to help make just about every activity more efficient and enjoyable. Jean was an active member of several community groups, helping her community by volunteering to raise money for diabetes research.

Jean was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a member of St. Michael Catholic Community for 22 years. She was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and she used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for her beliefs.

Jean's love of improvising in her daily life was a perfect fit for her enjoyment of traveling. Her favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit her personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Jean took her vacations seriously, well, as seriously as she possibly could. Favorite vacations included trips to Hawaii and Washington DC, and family civil war re-enactments. She also enjoyed visiting Frankenmuth, Michigan with her family.

Jean was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. Maggie May, a Yorkshire Terrier, was a best friend for three years. She also loved her previous dogs, Gandy Dancer, Snoopy, Gizmo, and Goliath.

She adapted and, like everything in her life, made it satisfying. Because she was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for Jean to master. In retirement, she found new pleasure in playing pogo games, enjoying time with her husband, gardening, playing with her dog, being her childrens' #1 soccer fan, going on road rallies, and fund raising for diabetes research. Even in retirement, Jean continued to stay in touch with her old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

Jean Renick passed away on August 10, 2010 at home in Clinton Township, Michigan. She fought a brave battle surviving a brain tumor and other health complications before passing away peacefully in her sleep. She is survived by her beloved husband Carl, "favorite" son Jeff, "favorite" daughter, Lisa, brother Raymond, and sisters June, Beverly, Joann, and Jeanette. Visitation Sat. 5-8p.m., and Sun. 2-8p.m. with a 6:30p.m. rosary service at Resurrection Funeral Home, 40800 Hayes Rd. (S. of 18 Mi. Rd.) Clinton Twp. Mrs. Renick will lie in-state Mon. 9a.m. until time of funeral mass 9:30a.m. at St. Michael Catholic Community, 40501 Hayes Rd., Sterling Heights, Michigan 48313. Jean will be laid to rest in Resurrection Cemetery, Clinton Township, Michigan.

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