Nicholas "Nick" Bilak

Nicholas (Nick) Bilak 1943-2021

Husband, father, grandfather, and restaurant patron. Departed life on June 7, 2021, surrounded by his loved ones. Nick lived a full and colorful life. He had a fiery and outgoing personality with a joke to tell and a friend to see everywhere he frequented. He didn’t care if you wanted to know what he thought, or what you thought about it - he was going to tell you anyway. Nick left us on his own terms, just like he lived his life. He made it out of post-WWII Europe, served as a company clerk from the home front during the Vietnam War, and was successfully self-employed for the majority of his life up until the day he passed away, which allowed him to spend his days as he pleased. He married his wife Barbara in 1967, and they carried out their days together for 53 years. Nick was not content to sit idly at home a day in his life. If he was at home, he found a task to keep himself busy. If something needed to be done, it needed to be done immediately, often by his children or his only grandson. He loved his family dearly and was an everyday presence in the homes of his children and grandchildren, and was the resident “know it all” and go-to problem solver. In his later years, his favorite hobby was going out to lunch, often with his granddaughters, and his entire day was planned around his restaurant selection. He was the staple of family gatherings, as every menu was planned around his requests. We know that he is proud that his car keys were never confiscated. We are comforted in knowing he is reunited with his mother, enjoying homemade pierogis and paska in heaven.

Nick’s memory will be honored at Neely and Turowski Funeral Home, 30200 Five Mile Rd., Livonia, MI 48154 on Friday, June 18, 2021 with visitation from 2-4PM, followed by a memorial service at 4PM. Donations in Nick’s memory can be made to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital.