Timothy Joseph Foley

Timothy Joseph Foley left this life peacefully on January 24, 2024 surrounded by family. Tim was born June 8, 1935, in Detroit, Michigan to Timothy Foley and Mary Griffin Foley. He attended Guardian Angels Elementary School and graduated from St. Anthony High School in 1953. In school, he had to learn how to fight as bullies picked on him for having Irish immigrant parents. In high school, he loved playing football, acting in school plays and using his beautiful singing voice. Tim was a force to be reckoned with. When he undertook a cause, he did it with gusto, whether that be his career, politics or volunteer work. He was a doer with a strong sense of responsibility and plenty of determination. He had a passion for helping people, particularly blue-collar workers and senior citizens. He strongly believed that whatever was worth doing, was worth doing to your greatest ability. One of his favorite sayings was, “do something, even if it’s wrong.” By that, he didn’t mean commit crime. He meant we shouldn’t stand at the plate waiting for the perfect pitch, but rather take a swing at life and do the best we can with what we’re given. He fell in love and married Barbara Miller in June 1956 and had four children, the late Patricia (John) Batten, Cathy (Rick) Vera-Burgos, Tim (Toni) Foley, and Rick (Carolyn) Foley. They raised their children first in Mt. Clemens and later in Grosse Pointe Park. Sadly, Barbara passed away in 1994, after which he immersed himself in work. In 2000, he retired and moved to Harrison Township. In 2007, he fell in love once again and married Anna Rokhnyanskaya, gaining a stepson, Arthur Safarov. Unfortunately, Anna passed away in 2020. Tim began his career in 1954 as an electrical apprentice for The Budd Company in Detroit, Michigan, moving up to electrician in 1958 while studying electrical engineering at Lawrence Institute of Technology at night. He took on the “fight” for the common man in 1959 when he entered the labor movement as elected Chief Steward and Maintenance Representative for the International Union, United Automobile Workers of America, Local 306. In 1960, he was invited to join the U.A.W. Skilled Trades Advisory Committee. In 1963, Walter P. Reuther, president of the U.A.W., was impressed by the young Tim Foley and hired him as his administrative assistant. In this role, Tim served on the Skilled Trades Department staff from 1963 to 1966, when he was promoted to assistant director, Skilled Trades Department, a role he held from 1966 to 1970. Tim redesigned the Skilled Trades logo to an electron, which continues to be used today. With Walter Reuther’s untimely death in 1970, Tim found himself laid off “for good behavior” (as he liked to say), during which he went back to the Budd Company as an electrician. However, workers kept coming to Tim for advice and guidance. In 1974, he was hired back into the U.A.W. as administrative assistant. He served in this role for U.A.W. presidents Leonard F. Woodcock, Douglas A. Fraser, Owen Bieber and Stephen P. Yokich. In addition to being administrative assistant, Tim worked in the Retired and Older Workers Department where he quickly moved up to the assistant director position, and then director, organizing and representing 550,000 U.A.W. retirees across the country. In 1995, Tim was promoted to the position of director of the U.A.W.’s Community Action Program, the political arm of the U.A.W. In this position, he worked with many political figures, including the President of the United States, Bill Clinton. His role included oversight of the U.A.W. departments of: · Retired and Older Workers · Civil Rights · Community Services · Unemployment Clinic · U.A.W.’s Legislative Office in Washington, D.C. In June 2000, Tim retired from the U.A.W. in a farewell gathering including all of the living U.A.W. presidents. In retirement, Tim devoted himself to his volunteer position as president of the Pointe Rosa Homeowner’s Association, the largest homeowner’s association in Macomb County. He also enjoyed many hours of boating and fish fries with friends and family. He loved football and baseball and was a longtime season ticket holder for the Detroit Tigers. He was always a dog lover, starting with his childhood dogs, two collies named Toby, to the first dog he owned as an adult, a collie named Princy and many other dogs, including mixed breeds Laddie, Lady, Smokey and Sparky. Later in life, he had Burnese Mountain Dogs Buddy and Buddy Boy, followed by a Goldendoodle named Napoleon; his beloved "Nappy" who shared his life and brightened his days until the end. In addition to his children and stepson, Tim will be missed by his eight grandchildren Gabriel, Rebecca, Christopher, Daniel and Brian Vera-Burgos, and Jennifer, Tim and Brendan Foley. He will also be missed by John (Marna) Batten and grandchildren through them: Graham (Molly) Berman, Elizabeth (Duncan) Crystal, Finn and the late Ethan McComas, and great grandchildren Ellie, Tillie and Lainey. Tim is also survived by his sister Mary (Foley) White and four nieces. Visitation Monday, January 29th, 3-9pm with a 6pm Rosary Service at Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons. 36900 Schoenherr Rd. at Metro Parkway (16 Mile). Instate 9:30am Tuesday until the 10am Funeral Mass at St Paul on the Lake Catholic Church, 157 Lake Shore Rd, Grosse Pointe Farms. For additional ways to honor Tim’s life, the family suggests donating blood to the American Red Cross if you are able or donating to the American Diabetes Association, or a charity of your choice. Share memories with the family at their "OnLine Guestbook" @ WujekCalcaterra.com

Timothy Joseph Foley

June 8, 1935 - January 24, 2024