Caroline Marie Kowalski

Caroline Marie May Kowalski, known more affectionately as Carol, passed away at the age of 89 on Friday, September 22, 2023. Caroline was a long-time resident of the Detroit metro area, calling Hamtramck, East Detroit, Grosse Pointe Park, and Ann Arbor home.

Caroline was born October 26, 1933 in Hamtramck, Michigan the second child of John and Mary (Glowacz) May. She attended Saint Florian’s grammar school and Girl’s Catholic Central High School, graduating from girl’s CC in 1951. Her first real job after high school was at the Phoenix Insurance Company where she worked for 4 years before accepting an administrative position at Chrysler Corporation in 1956. At Chrysler, she met Gerald Kowalski whom she married in the Winter of 1957. Gerald (Jerry) Junior was born the following Winter in 1958. In the summer of 1959, Caroline, Gerald Sr and Jerry moved to Taranto, Italy to manage the construction of NATO Military bases in Europe. Caroline would give birth to Keith in the summer of 1960. The family moved to Izmir, Turkey in 1961.

Caroline made great friends while working and living with the US and Foreign Military Officers and their wives. The family traveled throughout Europe and the near east, inspiring a love of travel and adventure in their young family. In 1962, Caroline returned home to be reunited with her family and friends. In the spring of 1964, the family and was blessed with a third son, Kevin. Caroline resided in East Detroit from 1962 to 1989. In 1989, she moved to a grand home on Berkshire Road in Grosse Pointe Park where she became an active member of Saint Clare of Montefalco Parish. In 2018, she relocated to Ann Arbor.

Caroline was a take charge office professional. She expertly managed complex office environments at Chrysler, General Motors, Wolverine Metal, and All State Insurance. A tough but kind supervisor, Caroline was a lionhearted leader, superior motivator, expert negotiator, and supremely successful administrator. People loved working with and for her.

While she enjoyed rearing three young men, Caroline loved being Nana to six wonderful women. She especially enjoyed traveling, touring, and shopping with her granddaughters while inspiring them to be anything they wanted to be because “they can accomplish anything!” Those who were lucky enough to have Carol in their life treasured the strong-willed and passionate woman that they called Aunt, Godmother, and friend.

Caroline had one older brother, John May (deceased), one younger brother Theodore May (deceased), and one younger sister Shirley May Kozlowski (deceased). Her parents, John and Mary have also passed on. The death of her oldest son Jerry Kowalski in 2018 was devastating blow that she never fully recovered from. Caroline is survived by Jerry’s wife Ivanka and daughter’s Katya and Lili, her son Keith and wife Geralyn along with their three daughters Katie, Caroline, and Kennedy, and son Kevin his partner Sara and his daughter Sofie and son Jamie.

Family and friends will gather at A.H. Peters Funeral Home on Mack Avenue in Gross Pointe Woods on Monday, October 2 from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM; a Rosary will be held at 7:00 PM. A Funeral Mass of Life Celebration will be held on Tuesday, October 3 at 10:30 at Saint Florian Roman Catholic Church at 2626 Poland Street, Hamtramck, MI 48212.

In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to Caroline's favorite charities, Capuchin Soup Kitchen (https://www.cskdetroit.org/online-donations) or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (https://www.stjude.org/donate).