Ralph M. Hammerick

Ralph M. Hammerick

Age 80, longtime resident of Northville, formerly of Dearborn, passed away September 3, 2021.  He was born November 30, 1940 in Detroit, Michigan; son of Andrew and Mary (nee Dankosky) Hammerick.  He graduated from Northeastern High School in Detroit; Class of 1959.  He continued his education at Wayne State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business and an MBA.  While at Wayne State he was a member of the Alpha Kappa Psi fraternity.  He was united in marriage to Kathleen Walewski on April 2, 1971; they spent 50 years lovingly devoted to one another.

Ralph proudly served his country with the Army National Guard and was called into active duty during the riots in Detroit during the 1960’s.  He worked for the City of Detroit in personnel retiring after 17 years.  He then went to work for the federal government at the Army Tank plant in Warren, taking an early retirement after several years.  Ralph was a member of Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church for 22 years.

Ralph was a great dancer; it was a talent he acquired while at Wayne State when he took a ballroom dancing class to fulfill a gym credit.  He was an avid sports fan, especially football, basketball, and baseball.  He always supported his hometown Detroit teams, including the Tigers, Pistons, and Lions.  A thinker, Ralph used his analytical skills to analyze sports teams and statistics to make predictions about draft picks and how the season would end up.  He was very involved with his children and always supported them in their activities.  He coached many sports teams for his son and was proud of his daughter’s accomplishments in dance.  While his son was in school at Divine Child, he established a tennis team, so his son had somewhere to play.  Ralph enjoyed bowling on a league with co-workers and on a men’s league with his father-in-law.  He also enjoyed playing tennis.  His family always came first, before anything else, he cherished all the time they spent together and the memories they made.

Ralph is survived by his beloved wife, Kathleen Hammerick; his children, Jennifer (Wesley) Parkinson and Todd (Monica) Hammerick; his grandchildren, Sydney, Emma, Alyson, and Ayden; his siblings, Richard (Geraldine) Hammerick and Rosella (William) Davis.  He was preceded in death by his parents, his twin sister Rietta Patire and his brother Robert Hammerick.

Memorial Visitation will be held Friday, September 24, 2021 from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. with a Memorial Service at 4:00 p.m. at Casterline Funeral Home, 122 West Dunlap, Northville.  He will be laid to rest at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly.

In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate memorial contributions to the Salvation Army , 16130 Northland Drive, Southfield, MI 48075 or honor Ralph by paying it forward with an act of kindness.