house resolution no.364

The Speaker, on behalf of the entire membership of the House of Representatives, offered the following resolution:

A resolution of tribute offered as a memorial for Stanley Stopczynski, former member of the Michigan House of Representatives.

Whereas, It is with great sorrow that the members of this legislative body learned about the passing of Stanley Stopczynski. He will be remembered as a dedicated public servant and leader who was committed to his constituents in Wayne County in the Eleventh and Nineteenth Districts; and

Whereas, Stanley Stopczynski was born in Detroit, Michigan to Representative Stephen and Cassie Stopczynski. He graduated from Sacred Heart Seminary High, attended St. Mary’s College, and went on to attend the American Institute of Banking. He married his wife, Donna, on September 3, 1955 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Stanley Stopczynski served in the United States Army and Cavalry from June 1957 to May 1959, spending fifteen months of that time doing training maneuvers in Germany. As a young man, he wanted to be a priest. When he found that the priesthood was not his calling, he built a career in banking at the City Bank of Detroit and reached the top of his field at Wayne Oakland Bank as an assistant vice president and branch manager; and

Whereas, Stanley Stopczynski was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1978, where he served his constituents and the people of Michigan for fourteen years. For his first two terms, he served alongside his brother, Thaddeus, who also represented part of Wayne County. As a member of the House of Representatives, he served as the Majority Floor Whip; chaired the Liquor Control Committee; was the vice chair for the committees on Corrections and Public Utilities; and was a member of the committees on Public Health, Roads and Bridges, Economic Development and Energy, Social Services and Youth, Transportation, and Corporations and Finance. Stanley Stopczynski was also part of the congregation at both Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church and St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and he was a member of the Polish Legion of American Veterans and the LaSalle College Park Improvement Association; and

Whereas, Stanley Stopczynski is survived by his two children, Kathleen and Michael; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; two sisters-in-law; and over twenty nieces and nephews whom he loved dearly. His wife, parents, and two brothers, Steven and Thaddeus, preceded him in death. His family described him as a very smart, kind, and extremely generous man, with a great sense of humor and deep love for his family, who was loved by all in every walk of his life. He will be greatly missed and fondly remembered; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we offer this expression of our highest tribute to honor the memory of Stanley Stopczynski, a member of this legislative body from 1979 to 1992; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Stopczynski family as evidence of our lasting esteem for his memory.