Leroy Hammond Runk

Leroy (Lee) H. Runk of Orchard Lake Village passed away at 85 years old on November 22, 2025 in West Bloomfield, Michigan. He was a natural engineer, an athlete, an expert punster, an automotive enthusiast, and a generous soul. Lee was gifted with a beautiful singing voice and incisive intellect, but it is his steady disposition coupled with his joyful sense of humor for which he will most be missed.

Lee H. Runk was born in Buffalo, NY in 1940. He told stories of doing household repairs and biking to the hardware store as a child. By the time he went to college, he and his sister Patsy had survived their father. Lee attended the University of Buffalo, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering and won the 1961 Engineer of the Year Award. Recruited for graduate study, he completed a Master of Science degree in Industrial Management at Purdue University in 1962.

Lee moved to Detroit in 1962, embarking on a 26-year career with Chrysler Corporation. He was already working at Chrysler when he earned his Master of Science in Industrial Engineering at Wayne State University in 1965. He was elected Vice President of Chrysler in 1981 and was named first President of Acustar, Chrysler’s auto parts subsidiary in 1987. That same year, he was the Distinguished Engineering Alumni inductee at Wayne State. By 1988 he was hired as President and Chief Operating Officer of Harvard Industries. He received the 1992 Dean’s Award for Achievement from the University of Buffalo School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. In 1993, Lee joined Masco Tech, as president of Forming Technologies, which later merged with Global Forming Technologies and Simpson Industries to form Metaldyne which he retired from in 2002.

Upon moving to Detroit, Lee met Maria Velasquez through a mutual friend and married in 1966. They made their home in an apartment in Sterling Heights, which they quickly outgrew with the arrival of Laura, and then Julie. They bought a home in Farmington Hills and rounded out their family with the birth of their son, Patrick. Both Lee and Maria loved raising a family and encouraging kids to follow dreams: their home was suffused with humor, sports, singing, and responsibility to community. They moved two more times, ultimately landing in Orchard Lake Village in 1986.

Together, Lee and Maria committed to supporting others. They quietly funded educational scholarships and donated to organizations cultivating equity and the arts.

Lee’s passion was rebuilding classic cars (nine in all). His first project was a 1953 Jaguar XK120 that arrived as a frame on a flat bed trailer accompanied by a number of boxes. His last car project was a 1967 Barracuda Fastback, the car he drove cross country to California with his wife and newborn daughter. He brought that automotive expertise to judging for 11 years in Meadow Brook’s Concours d’Elegance.

Long travel enthusiasts, in his retirement Lee and Maria became avid globetrotters. They joined the Nomad Travel Group and enjoyed many adventures with friends and family.

Among his other hobbies, Lee was skilled at sports and woodworking. He played in a basketball league and transitioned to racquetball, tennis, and skiing. Upon becoming members at Orchard Lake Country Club, Lee spent his retirement years enjoying paddle, tennis and a bit of golf with his racquet pals. Lee also found happiness as an enthusiastic wood worker, building furniture and other items. He was always a willing contributor to construction projects with his children and grandchildren. As with his car restorations, his keen eye for perfection made each project unique and beautiful.

On the night before his passing, Lee and Maria talked about their almost 60 years together. Lee is survived by his wife Maria, their daughter Laura and her husband Daniel Palomaki and twin daughters Zoe and Lily; their daughter Julie Velasquez Runk; their son Patrick Runk and his wife Amy Gross and their children Rachel Runk, Jack Gross and Ella Gross plus numerous nieces, nephews and one grand niece. Lee is predeceased by his sisters Patricia Sweeney and Barbara Runk, and his parents Roy Runk of York, Pennsylvania and Virginia Runk of Binghamton, New York.

The family will have a Celebration of Life in 2026. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Public Radio, Michigan Public Radio or the Southern Poverty Law Center. These are just a few of the various organizations important to Lee and Maria.