Louis Anthony Terhlen Sr.

On Tuesday, October 6th, 2020, Louis Anthony Terhlen, Sr., devoted husband and father, passed away suddenly at the age of 72. “Lou” was born on June 19th, 1948 in Wheeling, West Virginia to Louis Andrew Terhlen and Sophia Rosella (Slater) Terhlen. Lou was raised by his mother in southern Ohio and Detroit, Michigan after losing his father to leukemia at a very early age. Lou received his degree in Mechanical Engineering from Henry Ford Community College and grew up quickly as he performed duties of “man of the house” while becoming an adult himself. He spent the next 50 years working in the automotive industry as a Mechanical Engineer and was a leader and mentor to countless individuals. His attention to detail was unsurpassed as he found and married his loving wife, Kathy Jean, on May 23, 1975. Lou was a selfless individual that gave everything and asked for nothing. He loved working with his hands and completed many exceptional projects throughout his lifetime including building a pond house out of antique windows, painting a large mural of an American flag on their barn, and maintaining beautiful grounds of their large country property in Lapeer, Michigan. He was a gentle giant to those that knew him; he was generous and forgiving. Lou was preceded to heaven by his father, Louis, and his mother, Sophia. He is survived by his loving wife, Kathy, of 45 years, his 3 sons, Louis Jr. (Stacy and grandchildren Layla and Milana), Matthew, and Joshua (Kara and grandchildren, Asher, Aria, Lexie, Keegan and Chase, and also dearest and close friends. A funeral service will be held on October 18th, 2020 at the Pixley Funeral Home in Rochester, Michigan from 2pm-8pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Lou’s memory to the American Diabetes Association and Lending a Helping Paw Dog Rescue. 23200 John R. Road Hazel Park, MI 48030.