Mitch’s Lifetime
1929-2006
Childhood
Years
Mitch was born on January 10, 1929 in Hamtramck, Michigan. He moved back to his family's original home to Warsaw, Poland at the age of two during to the Great Depression. He grew up much quicker than an ordinary boy due to being raised during the time of World War II.
The Teenage Years
Mitch was privately tutored in Warsaw while growing up and graduated from Gorski School. Poland at the time was under constant watch by Nazis during World War II. Despite the rule of having no weapons, Mitch still owned a gun. His younger brother got a hold of it to play Russian Roulette and ended up getting shot. After dying later in the hospital the Nazis heard of Mitch owning a gun and threw him in jail. The only reason he was not shot was because of being an American citizen. Luckily, Mitch was part of the Polish Underground, which is was group rebelling against the German Nazis, and his friends in it rescued him. After being rescued, he immediately fled to the U.S. Embassy at the age of 17 for protection. After waiting in safety for several weeks, he was able to take a boat to America once his papers were drawn out. When finally arriving in America, he lived in Detroit, Michigan with his brother Bill who was 14 years older than him.
Primetime
Mitch sought out having more formal education than he got in Poland, so he attended the Ford Trade School in Highland Park. He also studied engineering at the Detroit Institute of Technology. He had two full-time jobs for many years to seek advancement and success in this vast “Land of Opportunity”. Mitchell met his wife, Laura (Kolasa) Malicki at a Polish Aviator’s Ball. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War from 1951- 1953. The Army sent him to do Intelligence work in Germany because of his knowledge of German tactics and his fluency in Polish, German, Russian and English. Shortly after his return, he married Laura on July 4th, 1953.
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The Golden
Years
Mitch was a draftsman at Jatkoe Engineering and Huck Manufacturing before starting his 40 year career at F. Jos. Lamb Company. He began as a draftsman and later became a Sales Engineer where his career then blossomed.
Throughout Mr. Malicki’s working life, it was his knowledge of the machine tool business, great personality, integrity with his customers and hard work to fix any problems that elevated his career. Mitch was well- respected and trusted by all his peers and customers. He was eventually promoted through the ranks were he achieved Vice President of Sales for Lamb Technicon, with General Motors being his largest Customer. He expanded the company into new markets including, Canada, Mexico, Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. He sought new business in 1986 with the Soviet Union, Poland, and Czechoslovakia as Eastern Europe’s democracies bloomed. He worked with Lech Walesa, leader of the Polish Solidarity Movement, to bring free trade into Poland. He worked with Soviet Union companies Volga Auto Works (VAZ) and Azik for machine orders. Mitchell retired from Lamb Technicon in October 1996 after 40 years serving.
Family Man
Mitch loved hunting, fishing, snow skiing, water skiing and boating. Mitch loved World War II movies and built many military models of planes, tanks and ships. Mitch was an avid Tiger Baseball fan and cherished his time with family and friends at their second home on Walloon Lake in Petoskey.
Mr. Malicki was hard working, intelligent, generous, loving, and kind. Most of all, Mitchell loved his family. He was a wonderful gentleman who always gave to others. Mitch influenced the lives of all he met. He was soft- hearted for animals and enjoyed many pets. He will be dearly missed in the lives and hearts of his relatives, friends, and especially, his wife, his children and grandchildren.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 52 years, Laura (Kolasa) Malicki, his daughters; Christina (Edward) Vermet and Linda (Matt) Abar and his five grandchildren: Mitchell, Jennifer and Stephanie Vermet and Matthew and Christa Abar and many nieces, nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews.
Sadly, Mitch passed on April 1, 2006 after a heart attack. Mitch acquired diabetes during the latter years of his life, and unfortunataely, it did not get better due to his love of sweets. His granddaughter, Jennifer Vermet, will never forget how each week her Dziadiza brought her Krispy Kreme doughnuts. She thinks that at least he died being happy and eating what he liked. Mitchell Malicki is eternally missed by all of his family and friends because of what an impact he made in everyone's life.