Dennis Grylicki

Dennis Grylicki of Holland Michigan, age 89, passed away peacefully on December 7, 2024, surrounded by his large loving family.

Dennis was born on April 20, 1935, the oldest child of Antoni and Josephine Grylicki, in Detroit, Michigan. As a child growing up, Dennis joined the Boy Scouts and forged a lifelong love for the outdoors. The family followed many Polish traditions, which were passed on to his family. Dennis graduated from St. James Catholic High School in 1953. He studied engineering at the University of Detroit, and enrolled in ROTC. After graduating with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1959, Dennis was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant Artillery, and completed his Army Reserve obligations over the next several years. Dennis later enrolled at Wayne State University to obtain a Masters Degree in Civil Engineering.

He worked as a highway engineer at the Oakland County Road Commission for more than 20 years, and later at the Genesee County Road Commission. He was active in the American Society of Civil Engineers, (ASCE), the National and Michigan Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) & (MSPE), and various other professional societies. His involvement with these groups gave Dennis (and Terry) the opportunity to travel and explore the US. In his later years Dennis taught a civil engineering course at WSU.

While attending UD he met a Mercy College nursing student named Theresa Ann Werdeman. They enjoyed telling the story of how they met, at a historic bar called the Dakota Inn, and how Terry asked Dennis out for their first date. They continued dating after graduation and married on October 15, 1960. They went on to have five children, Mark (Melissa) Grylicki, Mary (Martin) McKeever, Dena (Daniel) Arner, Sara (James) Vanden Berg and Matthew (Deborah) Grylicki. Those children blessed Dennis & Terry with ten grandchildren - Mia (Jon) & Kate, Matthew & Molly, Josef & Elizabeth, Adam (Jamie) & Hanna, and Lucy & Molly - and one great grandson - Daniel. Dennis introduced Terry and their children to the fun of camping, and many wonderful family vacation memories revolve around camping and rugged Canadian canoe trips.

Dennis retired from the Genesee County Road Commission in 2000. He and Terry spent their time visiting their children and grandchildren and traveling throughout the US and abroad. Dennis visited the geographical High Point of each of the 50 states or the trailheads of the most difficult highpoints, as well as most of the National Parks. Dennis was a devout Catholic and a lifelong learner, of religious history as well as US history. After Terry passed, in 2017, Dennis moved to Freedom Village, where he met Claudia Leininger, who was his constant companion for his last years.

Dennis was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Marcia, his brother-in-law Ronald, and his beloved wife of 57 years, Terry.

Services will be held at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church on Saturday, December 14, 2024, at 11:00 am, with visitation for one hour prior to the service. Dennis requested memorial contributions be directed to Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, or Catholic Charities West Michigan.