Ronald Roy Tyranski, age 64, of Commerce Township, passed away November 23, 2020. Beloved husband of Mary Ann. Loving father of Kathleen (Jason) Alexander, Kelli (Ricky) Danton and Erin (Chris) Boggs. Proud grandfather of Luke Alexander, Keegan Danton, Reeva Danton, Cameron Danton and Benjamin Boggs. Cherished son of Jean Tyranski Walker. Dear brother of Jill (Alan) Witucki and Bradley Walker. Ronald was preceded in passing by his father, Roy Tyranski; his brother, Larry Tyranski; and his stepfather, Royal Walker.
My husband navigated the world through mechanics- be it his work, hobbies, or the way he connected to people. As a young teen, he learned in the best environment: under the hoods of family and neighborhood cars. In high school he completed the 2 year automotive mechanics program at SWOVEC and, during his career, over 150 credits in auto-related courses at Delta College. In 1977, he hired in as a test driver at the GM Proving Grounds, but his boss, upon seeing his resume, transferred him to the mechanic unit. Ronnie moved from the Proving Grounds to GM’s Pontiac campus and finally the Tech Center. When he finished his 30 years, he was flying to GM assembly plants all over the country introducing cost-cutting small tools. In his time with GM, he went from test driving to making presentations to the likes of Mary Barra.
Ronnie’s biggest complaint about our house has always been the size of our garage. A single bay, it is packed with his 3 Snap-On tool chests, work benches, a “spare” Corvette engine… you get the idea. He finally built a large shed for the quad runners, mopeds, MGs, Nova, bikes and, after grandchildren, trikes and go carts. Needless to say, none of our cars have ever been housed in the garage.
Lastly, mechanics was also the way Ronnie connected with people. As a girl from a small town in Iowa, I grew up thinking a Friday night meant movies, roller skating, football games, or basketball. Ronnie introduced me to a world of motorcycles, ski boats, sailboats, jet skis, and MGs. You know those rom-coms where the couple gets caught in a convertible during a thunderstorm? I’m here to tell you it’s neither romantic or comedic, and parking under a huge tree to avoid the rain isn’t too smart, either. But Ronnie liked people and he liked to have fun. Whether it was working with Keegan to help him reach the pedals on his “too big” trike, introducing Reeva to the wonders of magnetism, joining a neighbor to help fix a problem with his car, lawn mower, generator, whatever- he was ready and happy to do it… it truly was his pleasure!
Ronnie was a gentle man- kind, honest and caring. He wore a smile easily, even though it was very difficult to get a good one in a photo! Ronnie had a bike built for two in his collection. Once the girls outgrew the “biking with dad” stage, he would often ride it around the neighborhood alone, stopping to talk to neighbors, and just having fun. Those are the kind of memories I will carry with me to fill the hole in my heart where Ronnie used to be. I thank God for the family, neighbors and friends who meant so much to the both of us, and still do to me.
