Richard Sabatowski

Richard Sabatowski lived a life as full and generous as the man himself — a life defined by love, hard work, family, and an enduring spirit that touched everyone fortunate enough to know him. His story began on February 6th, 1940, in McKees Rocks, PA, where he was born to Stephanie and John Sabatowski. He joined his siblings Josephine (Novakowski), Mary (Gombkoto), Daniel, Agnes (Meyers), Raymond, and Edward. He was a graduate of McKees Rocks High School, class of 1957.

Shortly after graduation, he met Jean Devlin, and they were married on April 6th, 1963. Together, he and Jean had two sons, Joseph and Richard (Nadene). In 1992, Jean passed away, and life led Richard to Michigan.

In Okemos, Michigan, Richard met Mary Ann Sdao, who brought vibrant color back into his life. He grew his family by welcoming three more wonderful “kids” — Michael, Ronald (Anna), and Lisa (Jay). Richard and Mary Ann were also blessed with several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Grandchildren, Nathaniel, Emma, Gabriel, Janeen and Megan (Aaron), Josephine and Durham, along with great-grandchildren, Adrian and Elena, brought him joy and laughter. He was further blessed to have so many amazing people in his extended family, including Jake (Shannon) and his daughters, Giana, Sophia, and Mattea, as well as Matthew (Michelle) and sons, Joseph and Michael.

The love of the Sdao family, combined with the love of countless relatives, nieces, and nephews from both the Devlins and the Sabatowskis/Novakowskis, filled Richard with joy and happiness. So many blessings from a life well-lived, leaving us all with happy tears and cherished memories.

Professionally, Richard was a proud veteran of the U.S. Army. He served in Korea and was a specialist in radar technology, stationed at White Sands Missile Range in White Sands, NM. After his enlistment, he returned to Pittsburgh with Jean and was hired to work on the assembly line at General Motors in Lordstown. He worked with General Motors for 32 years, rising through the ranks to become a Tooling Engineer. Even without a college degree, his intelligence, intuition, drive, and ambition earned him a promotion to supervisor, where he mentored a team of engineers. In retirement, he volunteered at MSU football games as a member of the Knights of Columbus, the students knew him as “Papa Rich” as they entered the game. He also found joy in painting and singing, sharing that gift freely with the world around him.

In 2 Corinthians 9:6, we are taught that “whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” Richard sowed love generously and, in return, was loved generously by so many. His smile, his singing, his energy, and his wit will be deeply missed as he joins his loved ones in Heaven.

A celebration of life honoring Richard will be held on Saturday, July 11, 2026, 11:00 AM at St. Martha’s Catholic Church, 1100 W. Grand River, Okemos, MI 48864. The family will greet guests beginning at 10:00 AM.

Military Burial: Great Lakes National Cemetery, 4200 Belford Road Holly, MI, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, 10:00 AM.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Hospice that cared for him. Mother Teresa House, PO Box 13004, Lansing, MI 48901. [email protected].

www.GREastLansing.com