William Arthur Zolkosky

A Celebration of life will be held on Saturday, February 8, from 2-5pm at Muehlig Funeral Chapel in Ann Arbor.

Bill was born in Farmington Township on August 26, 1947, the seventh of nine children to Vincent Sr. and Billie (Melville) Zolkosky. He attended schools in Carleton and Ypsilanti, Michigan, and graduated in 1965 from Ypsilanti High School. In 1971 he married Patricia Budinger in Ypsilanti and in 1992 he married Pamela Hirst in Ann Arbor.

He received a bachelor’s degree in construction management from Eastern Michigan University and worked at the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn in Construction Management from 1966-2007.

A veteran of the Vietnam War, Bill served in the U.S. Navy from 1967-1971 and was assigned to several aircraft carriers.

In his spare time and then in retirement he was a skilled woodworker and built furniture and custom boxes for those he loved. He also worked on home remodeling both at home and for friends. He was always available to help his children with their home projects, even if it meant traveling to California, Arizona or Idaho with a vehicle full of needed construction tools.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by a sister and her husband, Una and Clyde Ploeger, a brother, Vincent Jr., sister and her husband, Linda and Rockey Mayne; brother-in-law Donald Sparks and sister-in-law Rebecca Zolkosky. To cherish his memory, he is survived by his wife, Pamela and two daughters, Colleen (Jeremy) Smith, and Erin Zolkosky; a son, Todd (Liz) Zolkosky; two step-daughters, Jennifer (John) Wallace and Melissa Bishop; grandchildren Jacob, Owen and Charley Zolkosky; Collin and Hudson Smith; Chloe and Caleb Bishop, and Isabella and Chase Wallace. Also surviving are sisters, Sally (Harold) Labadie, Helen (John) Salan, Wendy Sparks and Andrea Zolkosky, and one brother, Robert.

Flowers will be accepted, or memorial contributions may be made to the Cancer Research Institute.