Richard E. Denzer

GROSSE POINTE SHORES, MICH. — Richard E. Denzer, the devoted husband of 65 years to Millicent "Mitzi" Denzer, loving father of three children, and a General Motors engineer who worked with John DeLorean on the legendary Pontiac GTO, died Dec. 26 in his Grosse Pointe Shores home. He was 88.He spent his final days listening to music, surrounded by his wife, children, sons-in-law, grandchildren and family friends. A special memory will be the times when he was able to join in humming with the sing-along of old family favorites.Dick was a quiet, dignified and humble man with a dry sense of humor who showed his love and support of his family — sometimes for months — with home-improvement projects. In his well-equipped basement workshop, he made furniture that today graces the residences of several family members. One of his creations: a regulation pool table. He also enjoyed the craft of lapidary, transforming rough stones into cut gemstones.At the Ohio family farm that has been in his wife's family for four generations, Dick restored the 162-year-old farmhouse, with new plumbing, heating, rebuilt porches and new siding and windows. Partnered with his wife's vision, his ingenuity, creativity and steady hand with tools and machines brought "The Home Place" into the 20th century, so that it is now the heart and soul of the extended Scheid/Denzer family, and a place of summer family reunions for the last 30 years.His children easily agree that they knew their father as "a man of deeds, not of words."Dick grew up in Canton, Ohio, and earned bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from The Ohio State University. One lucky day at the OSU Lutheran Student Center, he met Mitzi Scheid, and they married in 1951.Dick served in the United States Air Force from 1951 to 1953, working on rocket engines at Edwards Air Force Base in California, then embarked on a 34-year career at GM. During this time, he and Mitzi raised their family in Bloomfield Hills.In addition to his work as chassis engineer with DeLorean on the famous Pontiac sports car, Dick worked for GM President Ed Cole on corporate body frame integral car projects, and served as chief vehicle engineer for the ill-fated rotary engine. He demonstrated the first version of an electrical car to the GM board of directors in the late '70s, and directed the vehicle design group that produced the original Saturn. He also experimented with GPS in the '80s, and has several patents to his name, including one fundamental to air suspension used on truck trailers. He tested vehicles on Pike's Peak in Colorado.Dick was a voracious reader and avid follower of the Lions, Pistons and Buckeyes. He was an early home computer operator who used a Mac to create music, and he channeled his math wizardry into solving difficult puzzles. A reluctant traveler, he nevertheless accompanied Mitzi Denzer to Europe, Russia, Brazil and the Caribbean, and made countless trips visiting their children from the East to the West coasts."There is no place like home," he wrote on his biography in a family genealogy book.At home, Dick was often the one to say grace before special family meals. "Lord, we thank you for our many blessings. Please bless this food and we who partake of it," he would say.In addition to wife, Mitzi, Dick is survived by a son, Paul (Kristie) of La Crescenta, Calif.; daughter Janet McGraw (Tom) of Grosse Pointe Shores, Mich.; daughter Susan DeBonis (Jeff) of Hood River, Ore.; and grandchildren, Adam Denzer, Amie Birney (Matt), Daniel McGraw, Jennifer Tanis (Mike) and Cozzi DeBonis; and many loving nieces and nephews.The family will receive friends from 2-8 p.m. Friday at A.H. Peters Funeral Home, 20705 Mack Avenue at Vernier Road in Grosse Pointe Woods. A memorial service will be 3 p.m. Saturday at St. Peter Lutheran Church, 1950 Sand Hill Road, Monroeville, OH 44847.The family has suggested memorial contributions be directed to St. Peter Lutheran Church.