Red Wings owner, Little Caesars founder Mike Ilitch passes away at age 87

Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey
Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey

 

By @MichaelCaples & @StefanKubus –

DETROIT – Mike Ilitch, the owner of the Detroit Red Wings and a youth hockey advocate in the state of Michigan for decades, has passed away.

He was 87.

Ilitch, who bought the Red Wings for $8 million in 1982, also founded the Little Caesars pizza chain in Garden City, Mich. in 1959.

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“My father was a once-in-a-generation entrepreneur, visionary and leader, setting the tone for our organization and our family,” said Christopher Ilitch, President and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, Inc, in a statement. “He made such a positive impact in the world of sports, in business and in the community, and we will remember him for his unwavering commitment to his employees, his passion for Detroit, his generosity to others and his devotion to his family and friends. Together my family and the company celebrate the tremendous man he was, and we will continue to work hard to uphold his remarkable legacy. I’m honored to have had the opportunity to work with him to nurture and grow our businesses, but mostly, I’m grateful to have called him my Dad, and I know my siblings feel the same.”

A press release states that there will be an opportunity for the public to pay their respects; details will be released at a later date.

Ilitch guided Detroit to four Stanley Cup championships and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003. He has had a profound impact on youth hockey in Michigan, both with Little Caesars AAA Hockey and the Little Caesars Amateur Hockey League.

Little Caesars began its involvement in youth hockey in 1968, and the Ilitch family has been influential in the game ever since.

A moment of silence will take place at Joe Louis Arena prior to the Michigan vs. Michigan State, which starts at 7:30 p.m. tonight.

Ilitch was married to Marian Ilitch, his wife and business partner, for 61 years. They have seven children – Denise, Ron, Michael Jr., Lisa, Atanas, Christopher and Carole, as well as 22 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

The Red Wings’ owner was born in Detroit in 1929 to Macedonian immigrants Sotir Ilitch and Sultana Tasseff Ilitch, who came to the United States in 1924.

He graduated from Cooley High School before joining the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served his country from 1948-52 at Parris Island, Quantico and Pearl Harbor.

After his discharge from the Marines, the Tigers signed him to a minor-league contract; he played shortstop in the system for the team he would later own for four seasons until a knee injury ended his career.

After working as a door-to-door salesman, he and Marian saved enough money to open the first Little Caesars in Garden City on May 8, 1959.

His pizza chain has grown into the world’s largest, with restaurants in 20 countries and territories throughout the world.

His charitable contributions have impacted tens of thousands of youngsters who skated in the Great Lakes region.