William “Bill” P. Kowalski

William “Bill” P. Kowalski, of Plymouth, died in the woods near Millersburg. On October 27, 2022 “our father, grandfather, brother, brother-in-law, cousin, uncle, and best friend,” Bill Kowalski, after a two-day search, was found not far from his favorite deer hunting blind.  Bill, who was 81 years old, was still in relatively good health and could be seen each morning doing his daily walk near downtown Plymouth. 

Bill was born May 6, 1941 in Detroit to William and Carolyn (Szymoniak) Kowalski. He married the love of his life, Joyce Marie Anderson, July 5, 1963 at the military base where he was stationed in North Carolina.  Bill leaves his son, Joe (Kelly) Kowalski of Manton; two grandchildren, Joe Jr. and Kimberley; a great-grandchild, Zoey; his sister, Barbara (Jim) Cipkowski; nieces and nephews, as well as many cousins.

Sadly, in the last year, Bill lost his wife, Joyce; a son, Michael; and his brother, Mike. There are not too many people who can handle that type of stress. Bill was not one to complain about anything or let on that something was bothering him. He was proud to be a Marine and believed in representing the toughness that was taught to him in the Corp.

A few years after serving in Vietnam and his honorable discharge from the Marines, Bill was so very fortunate to shoot the buck of a lifetime. It was an 11-point with a drop-tine that was 24 ¾ inches wide and placed fifth on the old Michigan Outdoors show with host, Mort Neff.  “I can still remember seeing Bill and his sister-in-law, Irene, doing the “Huchka” (polka) at Herb Pomranke’s Dutchman Bar in Ocqueoc. Talk about a celebration…that is one I will never forget!”  As recently as last year, Bill continued to sit in his blind, near that same spot where he shot that big buck and was fortunate to have shot a few other nice bucks there also, but none ever close to the trophy one. 

As a kid, Bill loved the outdoors and all the wonderful things that could be found in northeast Michigan’s beautiful Presque Isle County. In his teens, Bill loved fishing the beautiful meandering Ocqueoc River for bass and trout. As he got older, he enjoyed putting his boat in any one of the many small bass and pike lakes in the area around Millersburg. However, McIntosh Lake was his favorite and he continued fishing it right up to this year. After marrying and living in southern Michigan, Bill’s love of fishing continued on Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River and Lake Erie. Even in the middle of winter, he would be out there trying his luck. 

As a youngster, Bill, with his brother and sister, would spend summer months on their Grandpa and Grandma Szymoniak’s awesome farm in Millersburg. “I always looked forward to when they would come up because there were always so many things to do. The most important was staying out of trouble with Grandpa. Bill and I would do some crazy things and Grandpa would find out about it and in Polish would call us little devils. Without a doubt, life on the farm was never dull or boring. I can remember Bill and I throwing crab apples near the upstairs bedroom window where Barbara was staying. It was amazing that we never broke a window. Those were definitely some great days. 

“As Bill’s niece, Laurie told me, Bill was always competitive as well as a little daring. He was always dreaming up some stunt we could do. Sort of like Evel Knievel, only on a smaller scale. As he got older, Bill loved showing his niece’s young children how to fish and have fun while doing it; similar to the way we did it as kids. I know for sure, he deeply enjoyed all of those great days. 

“As a master clay modeler for Ford Motor Company, Bill was one of the best and was very well-respected for his awesome talent. I can still remember the model cars Bill sculpted out of wood at the ‘Boys Club’ not too far from his parent’s home in Detroit. He would paint them and they would look amazingly real. Real enough, obviously, to help him get that great job with Ford Motor Company.

“Bill was also a very impressive painter, specializing in landscape and charcoal figure drawings. He loved to paint something special that he knew someone would like and then give it to them as a gift. A few years back, he gave my wife and I an awesome painting of the famous 40-Mile Point Lighthouse on Lake Huron between Rogers City and the Ocqueoc River.”

And, in the end, we can all take solace in the fact that Bill left the world in the way he would have wanted to, out in the woods that he loved so very much. Now his soul has gone to be with his wife, Joyce; son, Michael; brother, Mike; and his cousin, Pete, who was his best buddy and also a United States Marine. 

With the opening of rifle season only a week or

so away, “I am asking everyone to have a shot of our traditional opening day drink, Jezynowka, in a salute to Bill; whom was always there if we needed him.” It is a great tasting Blackberry Brandy that Bill really loved, more for the tradition then anything else. His sister, Barbara, would always have a bottle of Jezynowka at home so when Bill came over for a visit, he could have a “short one” before leaving. 

Now, he has left us forever, leaving behind a wonderful legacy of doing kind things for people and being there for when we needed him the most.

 Bill will be honored by his family privately. Cremation arrangements were in care of Chagnon Funeral Home.