Mike Ilitch obit

Tigers, Red Wings owner and pizza titan Mike Ilitch dead at 87

He was not on the list.

Mike Ilitch, one of the most famous Detroiters of his time, died today at the age of 87, according to his company, Ilitch Holdings. His family will honor him at a private funeral service, and a public memorial service is being planned and details will be announced as soon as they are finalized, the Ilitch companies said in a statement.

“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, in a statement released by the company.

 “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.”

Success brought Ilitch and his family fabulous wealth. The 2016 Forbes magazine compilation of the 400 richest Americans listed Mike and Marian Ilitch at No. 88 with a net worth of $5.4 billion. In addition, Marian Ilitch is the sole owner of the MotorCity Casino Hotel.

But perhaps more important to Ilitch were a different set of statistics: four Stanley Cup championships for his Red Wings, two trips to the World Series for his Detroit Tigers, and a vast number of trophies for team and individual player achievements.

Mike and Marian Ilitch hoist the Stanley Cup on June 16, 1998 in Washington, D.C. after the Red Wings won their second consecutive NHL title by sweeping the Capitals. Vyacheslav Kozlov is at left.  Julian H. Gonzalez, DFP