Patsy & Henry Nowakowski

Henry “Chip” Eugene Nowakowski and Patsy Elaine Nowakowski, of Ottawa Lake, Michigan, left this life together on August 30, 2018. They were joined in death by Chip’s sister and brother-in-law, Carolyn M. Nowakowski and her husband Thomas G. Saine. Chip was born on December 23, 1954 in Toledo, Ohio. He was the middle of nine children born to Henry and Norma Nowakowski. Pat was born on November 10, 1956 in Toledo, Ohio as the only child to Ronald and Colleen Clayton. On September 1, 1978, Chip and Pat were married in Sylvania, Ohio at St. Joseph’s Church. Together, they spent the next 40 years creating a beautiful family and building a home that welcomed all.

Chip spent his lifetime working as a mechanical contractor for his father’s plumbing company, HPH Mechanical. He was known in the industry for his strong work ethic, his ability to solve any problem, and his impeccable attention to detail and organization. He had great pride in getting the job done right and providing his children with all the tools they needed to succeed in life. He enjoyed spending time with his close friend Rick Busch, who shared his love of aviation. Chip believed in the notion that everything was good in moderation, including eating a Hershey’s almond bar every day.

Pat lived her life as a dedicated daughter, wife, mother, grandma, and friend. She was a selfless woman with a huge heart who truly had the gift of making anyone she met feel cared for. She was proud to have recently taken over her father’s business Ron’s Diesel and enjoyed hearing stories from drivers and mechanics about her father. Pat could often be found with her best friend Jean Kozlowski, planting and harvesting her garden, knitting, and baking delicious apple pies. Undoubtedly, her greatest love was spending time with Chip, her kids, and her grandchildren. She loved having the whole family home together and was an example to all of how to love unselfishly.

Together Chip and Pat will be remembered as setting a true example of love, respect, pride, and generosity. They were proud of each other, their accomplishments, and, most of all, their children. Their son Brad and his wife Stacy will carry on Chip and Pat’s legacy of hard work and dedication to the family businesses. They will pass on Chip and Pat’s lessons of love and life to their talented son Riley. Their daughter Alexis and her husband Jason will forever cherish the time spent traveling with “Papa” and “Gigi” and the magnitude of love given to grandson Henry. Alexis has started her own law firm and will strive to always reflect the temperament and level-headedness of her father and the “get things done” attitude of her mother.  Their son John and his wife Adrienne will preserve Chip and Pat’s tradition of transforming a house into a home that welcomes all and one that reflects Pat’s joy of gardening and flowers. As a pilot in the United States Air Force, John values Chip’s love of aviation and exemplifies his father by doing things right the first time.

Pat was preceded in death by her loving father Ronald Clayton and is survived by her devoted mother Colleen Clayton. Chip was preceded in death by his loving parents Henry and Norma Nowakowski and is survived by brothers James (Marsha) Nowakowski, John (Cyndy) Nowakowski, Jeffery Nowakowski, and Mark Nowakowski and sisters Marilyn (Bruce) Fredrickson, Catherine Scannell, and Janet (John) Bali.

The family invites friends to call at Reeb Funeral Home, 5112 Main St, Sylvania, Ohio on Friday, September 7, 2018, from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The lives of Chip, Pat, Carolyn, and Tom will be celebrated at St. Joseph’s Church, Sylvania, at 10:00 am on Saturday, September 8, 2018. Private interment will follow.

Those wishing to honor Chip and Pat are asked to consider making donations to Hospice of Northwest Ohio or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

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