Obituary of Richard W. Pleak

Richard W. Pleak died on 10 January 2005, in Livonia, MI, of natural causes, 2 months before his 87th birthday. He wished that his remains be cremated and scattered. Visitation will be held at 11:00AM with a memorial service following at 12:00 noon on Saturday, 15 January 2005, at RG & GR Harris Funeral Home, 15451 Farmington Rd., Livonia, MI 48154, (734) 422-6720, with a lunch to follow at 2PM, location to be announced. <br> <br>Richard was born on 13 March 1918 in Princeton, MN, to Hazel Bell Davis and Asa Don Pleak, and grew up in Milaca near Mille Lacs Lake in northern Minnesota. His heritage was German, Dutch, Scotch, Irish, Welsh, and Cherokee. He began seriously dating his childhood sweetheart, Lillian Gale Riesland, when she was 14 and he 16. He followed her to California in 1938, where they married; they came to Detroit in 1940 and had 3 children, Sandra, Catherine, and Richard; Lillian died in March 2001. He married Virginia Elizabeth McDonald in 1965, and they had 2 children, Gregory and Danielle; Virginia died in August 2001. He entered into a longtime compansionship with Gloria Walsh for over 17 years which ended upon her death in May 2004. He was also preceded in death by all his siblings: his sisters Donna Leona Pleak and Harriett Lucille Ethridge, his twin brother Russell Davis Pleak, his brother Irle Frederick Pleak; and by his grandson John Richard François. <br> <br>Richard worked at American Blower in Detroit during World War II and was blackballed for organizing the union there. He then served in the Army Air Force as a MP, and after the war, he and several friends developed the first undercoating and rustproofing process for cars. From 1948, he ran his own specialty automotive businesses in rustproofing and air conditioning for over 50 years in Detroit, Birmingham, and Farmington Hills, and he was joined in these businesses at various times by most of his children. Richard was loved for his warm-heartedness and wonderful sense of humor; he loved dogs, bird feeding, nature, people watching, beauty, travel, telling stories, and visiting his family and many friends. <br> <br>He is survived by his children Sandra Rae François of Farmington Hills, MI; Catherine Jane Pleak of Rochester Hills, MI; Richard Randall Pleak, MD, of New York, NY; Gregory Allen Pleak of Ellsworth, MI, and Danielle Lorena Pleak of Westland, MI; grandson Jason Gregory Pleak; granddaughters Amanda Jane Pleak and Jessica Marie Pleak; stepgrandsons Matthew and Christopher Altomare; and children by marriage/partnership Fred Robinette, John Altomare, Jon Weatherman, Patty Pleak, and Bryan Gallagher. <br><br>Donations may be made to Richard's favorite organization, The National Geographic Society, Development Office, 1145 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Please record your memories in Richard's guestbook.<br>