[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 26 (Tuesday, February 14, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1159-S1160]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                  REMEMBERING MICHAEL ``MIKE'' ILITCH

 Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, today I wish to remember Michael 
``Mike'' Ilitch of Detroit, MI, founder of Little Caesars Pizza and 
owner of the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings. Sadly,

[[Page S1160]]

Mr. Ilitch passed away last week at the age of 87. Mr. Ilitch was 
enthusiastic about sports, passionate about the city of Detroit, and 
dedicated to his family.
  Mr. Ilitch was born in Detroit, MI, on July 20, 1929, to Macedonian 
immigrants, Sotir and Sultana. After graduating from Cooley High 
School, Mr. Ilitch served 4 years in the U.S. Marine Corps before 
returning to Detroit to play minor league baseball for the Tigers. 
Following a knee injury, Mr. Ilitch worked as a door-to-door 
salesperson, selling awnings, pots, and pans, in order to save enough 
money to start his own business.
  In 1959, Mr. Ilitch and his wife, Marian, opened their first pizza 
store in the Detroit suburb of Garden City: Little Caesars Pizza. While 
Mr. Ilitch initially named the pizzeria Pizza Treat, his wife Marian 
convinced him to change it to Little Caesar, her nickname for him. Over 
four decades, Mr. Ilitch expanded the business to approximately 4,000 
stores across North America and parts of Europe. The chain became well-
known for its commercial tagline, ``Pizza! Pizza!''
  As Little Caesars grew to be one of the largest carryout pizza chains 
in the United States, Mr. Ilitch purchased the Detroit Red Wings hockey 
team in 1982, recognizing the great potential of a then failing team. 
By stocking the team with promising college players, Mr. Ilitch 
revitalized the Red Wings. Under Mr. Ilitch, the Red Wings won four 
Stanley Cup titles in 1997, 1998, 2002, and 2008, which led him to be 
inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003, as well as the U.S. 
Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.
  In 1992, Mr. Ilitch acquired the Detroit Tigers baseball team--the 
same team that contracted him in the minor leagues. The Tigers reached 
the World Series twice under Mr. Ilitch's stewardship in 2006 and 2012.
  An icon and pillar of the community, Mr. Ilitch never lost faith in 
the resurgence of the city of Detroit and the resilience of the people 
he loved so much. During the city's most challenging times, he poured 
his heart and passion into Detroit's renaissance. Mr. Ilitch played an 
active role in the community, supporting local organizations and 
residents. In 1987, Mr. Ilitch and his wife bought and restored the 
historic Fox Theater, rejuvenating the entertainment scene in downtown 
Detroit. He privately assisted civil rights activist, Rosa Parks, 
paying her rent when she moved into the Riverfront Apartments in 1994. 
In 2007, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs awarded Mr. Ilitch 
with the Secretary's Award for the ``Little Caesars Veteran Program,'' 
which provided business opportunities to nobly discharged war veterans.
  As an entrepreneur, leader, and kindhearted family man, Mr. Ilitch 
will be greatly missed across Michigan as he touched the lives of many 
people throughout the State. Mr. Ilitch is survived by his wife of 63 
years, Marian; 7 children, Denise, Ron, Michael, Jr., Lisa, Atanas, 
Christopher, and Carole; 22 grandchildren; and 3 great-grandchildren.
  I cannot express enough the impact Mr. Mike Ilitch had on the city of 
Detroit and the State of Michigan. He was truly a treasure to our 
community and an example of the American Dream. His passion, 
dedication, and leadership will be missed. However, I am confident his 
legacy will continue to inspire others to take action to strengthen the 
city of Detroit, the community he served with his whole heart.

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