Michael Bolak

Michael’s smile had a natural way of putting people at ease. Leading by example, he encouraged all the people in his life to enjoy every moment of every day.

As American culture experienced a rebirth of freedom and expression in the 1960s, John and Sandy (Zapfe) Bolak were beginning their lives together in Detroit, Michigan. On July 23, 1968, they welcomed Michael Joseph Bolak into their family. Michael was a beautiful child, and, not surprisingly, he grew up to be a handsome young man. As a teenager at Monroe Catholic Central, Michael easily earned the yearbook title, “best smile.” Michael was also known for being quite the athlete in his high school days. He was certainly a leader, not a follower, but his quiet, supportive demeanor made him an ideal teammate. Michael participated in both football and wrestling. Although he was quite good at football, there was no doubt that his real talent was for wrestling. During his junior year, Michael even placed 9th in the state wrestling competition.

Michael learned many skills during his wrestling training over the years, but the most notable of these was walking on his hands. To get people’s attention, he and all his teammates often made their entrances into the gym walking this way. Since Michael loved to make people laugh, he also walked on his hands in his own neighborhood, inviting the neighbors to stare and wonder at the unusual sight. Motocross was another of Michael’s interests as a young man, and it was a sport he and his brother both loved. Like wrestling, motocross was a sport at which Michael excelled. He took home many trophies that spoke to his skill and enjoyment of the sport.

After high school, Michael attended Central Michigan University for a couple of years. He then went to work for a company called Trinity Industries, which was based in Fort Worth, Texas. But after a few years in Texas, Michael decided to return to Michigan. He took a new job at a company called Alexis in the accounting department. Eventually, his hard work allowed him to advance into the I.T. department.

It was while working at Alexis that Michael met Nancy, who ended up introducing him to her sister, Wendy. Michael and Wendy’s first date was with a group of friends at Wooly Bullys Bar. From the moment they arrived, Michael focused all his attention on Wendy. She, too, was attracted to Michael and agreed to go on a second date. Wendy’s sister invited the couple to go to her cottage in Hillsdale, where they could spend an afternoon canoeing. Michael and Wendy spent their second date out on the river, and it was that day, in fact, that Michael decided for certain that he wanted to marry Wendy. For her part, Wendy was incredibly attracted to Michael’s infamously beautiful smile, as well as his enthusiasm for life. He was a risk taker, but also a man with an enormous heart who would do anything for anyone.

A year after their first meeting, Michael, being a true romantic, made a point of asking Wendy’s parents for their permission to marry their daughter. To show their support and encouragement, they gave Michael the use of their condo in Florida, where he could give Wendy the perfect proposal. He arranged for a plane to fly above the beach carrying a banner that read: Wendy, will you marry me, Michael? Luckily, Michael succeeded in getting Wendy to look up just as the plane flew overhead. “With a proposal like that,” Wendy said, “how can I say no?” They celebrated their official engagement right then, with a glass of cool champagne on the Florida beach.

Michael and Wendy wed on June 6, 1997 at St. Thomas a’Becket Catholic Church. This day, the day Michael became Wendy’s husband, was without doubt the greatest day of his life. In celebration of their love and marriage, Michael took Wendy on a honeymoon to Aruba. Although they enjoyed snorkeling and laying out on the beach, the newlyweds spent much of their time in the casino. While Michael was playing his favorite game blackjack, he gave his wife $20 to play the slots, and with this Wendy hit the jackpot and won $5,000.

After returning from Aruba, Michael and Wendy settled in Westland, Michigan. There, Michael left his job at Alexis in favor of a position with Logica, a consulting firm that put him to work at Hayes Lemmerz. After a couple of years he and Wendy were able to relocate to Salem Township with their pets - two dogs and two cats. Michael completely gutted and rebuilt their new home, remodeling its two levels in only 1 year. In honor of their honeymoon, Michael even put three slot machines in the house for Wendy to use for “practice.”

Michael and Wendy’s beautiful new home sat on 2.5 acres near their 10 acres of prime snowmobiling land. They both loved outdoor sports, whether it was snowmobiling, four wheeling, boating or jet skiing. Since they thoroughly enjoyed being out in nature, Michael and Wendy were thrilled to take a vacation to Hawaii. They spent their first week cruising the islands, then stayed on Maui for second week. In addition to Hawaii, they also traveled to Jamaica, Florida, the Grand Cayman Islands, and of course, Las Vegas. Michael’s favorite of all these places were the Grand Caymans, though he particularly enjoyed their trips to the Florida condo too, since it always brought back fond memories of his proposal to Wendy, the woman he felt blessed to call wife.

Michael’s smile and kind spirit made him a beautiful person in every way. Above all else, his optimism and energy let all the people in his life feel good about their own lives. Michael’s friends and family will always cherish the incredible memories they created with him.

Michael Joseph Bolak died December 6, 2004. He was preceded in death by his father John. Members of Michael’s family include his wife Wendy, his mom Sandy and step dad Bud, brother Kevin (Terry), sisters Renee’ McIlvenna-Alley and Jennifer (Erwin) Bolak-Schielke. Father and mother in law Ralph and Elaine Palis and nieces and nephews.

Friends and family may visit with Michael’s family on Saturday and Sunday from 2-9 p.m at McCabe Funeral Home - Canton. There will be a scripture reading on Sunday at 7 p.m. at this same location. A funeral service will be held Monday at St. Thomas a’Becket Catholic Church with instate at 9:45 a.m., followed by mass at 10:30 a.m. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com, where you may share a memory, send flowers, or make a memorial contribution.