Thomas Edward Radecky was born May 7, 1929, in Detroit, Michigan to Edward and Louise Radecky. Although his childhood coincided with the Great Depression, he had fond memories of freely roaming the streets of Detroit with his friends, sometimes getting into mischief, but always home in time for dinner to avoid getting in trouble with his mother. He attended Burns Grammar School, Cooley High School and Michigan State University. Tom was drafted into the army to serve in the Korean War. He was stationed in Japan and Korea, attained the rank of Sergeant and was fortunate to work in the finance office. While there, he developed an appreciation of the architecture, people and culture in both countries and documented his stay overseas with beautifully composed black and white photographs. Tom had a great eye. He was pleased when his amateur photographs were published in Life Magazine and Detroit newspapers. After his honorable discharge, he finished his studies in East Lansing and graduated from Michigan State University. Tom met Carole Wrona at Hudson’s flagship department store in downtown Detroit where she worked as a buyer and he a consumer electronics salesman. They married and together they raised two children in a house they bought in Birmingham, Michigan. They were married for more than 40 years until her death in 2004. Tom remained in this same Birmingham house for 50 years, a place where his grandchildren would pick raspberries, experiment to see what household items could fit down the laundry chute, run through the sprinklers, and play badminton in the yard. Tom worked for years as a sales representative for a variety of companies including the Carborundum Corporation, Magnavox, Sony, and Panasonic. Eventually he grew weary of sales and decided to follow his true love, working with his hands. He established the Carefree Closet Company and found fulfilment in the creative process of designing, building, and installing custom closets. He enjoyed bringing happiness to his customers. Tom was a DIY man before that was a common expression. His garage and basement shop were loaded with tools and neighbors would turn to him when they needed to borrow something. He never understood why he’d pay someone when he could fix it himself. In his 80s after some pleas from family, he finally stopped climbing on the roof to clean out the gutters. Thirteen years ago, Tom joined a walking group where he met Mary Stapleton. She was his loving companion until the end of his life. Together they shared a love of live music, dancing, travel, hiking, and bird watching. Their Saturday morning walking group would meet to hike in the woods no matter the weather, ending with picnics even on harsh winter days. In addition to his love of the woods, Tom was a passionate skier and a sailor and continued those sports well into his later years. He found his spirituality in the beauty of nature, and he passed his passions and love of nature and the outdoors down to his children and grandchildren. Tom will be remembered as a kind, gentle man with an easy smile and always ready for a new experience. He is survived by his son Marc Radecky, daughter Claire (Radecky) Pinkerton and her husband Joe, his grandchildren Emily, Camille and Alex Pinkerton, Max and Caroline Radecky, his companion Mary Stapleton and several nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his father Edward Radecky, Mother Louise Radecky, wife Carole (Wrona) Radecky, and sister Virginia (Radecky) Sargent. “I have lived, loved and died a grateful man.” A celebration of his life is being planned for a later date. Memorial tributes to the Little Traverse Conservancy. ~Lovingly written by the family.