Kevin Peter de Matas

June 3rd, 1935 – September 9th, 2022 Kevin Peter de Matas was born in Trinidad, on June 3rd, 1935, to Vivian and Marie (Muzini) de Matas. He is survived by his wife Theresa (Annette) with whom he was married to for sixty-one years, daughter Lisa (Richard) Niedziolek, son Barry, as well as his loving grandchildren Justin de Matas and Sophie Niedziolek. He is predeceased by his son Randy. Kevin was the seventh of fifteen children. Older siblings were Sylvia (dec), Evelyn (dec), Conrad (dec), Franco (dec), Rafael (dec), and Steve (dec). Younger brothers and sisters are Barbara (dec), Claude (dec), Frederick, Mary, Tim (dec), Tracy (dec), Jerry (dec), and Eugene. Kevin elected to leave school at the young age of sixteen to help support his parents’ cocoa estate. He quickly realized the rewards of hard work and went on to work on the tugboats at an oil refinery, which allowed him to better assist the family business. A few years later he started working in refrigeration and cooling. This would begin his lifelong love of the industry in which he was self-taught. To provide a better life for his wife and children Kevin travelled to New York in 1971. However, he did not find the city suitable for the family life he was hoping to cultivate. Kevin was relentless in trying to provide the best for his family. In 1974 he visited Detroit and was thrilled to relocate his family there. Kevin began his career at General Motors in 1975. At GM Kevin worked diligently to learn the heating aspect of his trade. Kevin was a dedicated employee. He considered it a gift to be able to work in a trade which he found so enjoyable. His dedication and hard work earned him a promotion to supervisor in 1981. In this position Kevin was fair but had high expectations from his team. His devotion to work extended beyond his employment and he was always excited and available to help friends, or anyone, in need of heating and cooling repairs. For many years he helped friends in the Ukrainian community, oftentimes using his own replacement parts and only accepting gas money as compensation. In 1997 Kevin retired from GM after twenty-two years. In his spare time, which was sparse, Kevin enjoyed hunting. He and Theresa also enjoyed returning to Trinidad to visit family. Within the US they visited Puerto Rico, Ohio, Florida, Washington DC, Colorado, Missouri, North Carolina and Indiana. There were also frequent family trips to Canada to visit his youngest brother Eugene and his family. When Lisa lived overseas, Kevin and Theresa had the opportunity to visit Belgium, The Netherlands, France, England and Poland. Kevin was an ardent reader. However, since work was his life and his passion it was never far from his mind. Therefore, he was very often found reading a manual about refrigeration, heating and cooling. He also took every opportunity to attend classes to further his knowledge of his craft. Finding himself unable to stop working, Kevin started his own heating, cooling and refrigeration company immediately after his retirement from GM, in which his sons Randy and Barry often worked alongside him. Kevin was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend. His greatest joy was his family, especially his grandchildren. He was also happiest when he was working. He especially found it rewarding to help others, whether they were known or unknown to him. Kevin was exceptionally caring, selfless and kind. He will be missed forever. The family will welcome friends to celebrate Kevin’s remarkable life on Saturday, September 24th, 2022, at 11:30 a.m., with Memorial Visitation starting at 10am at Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons Inc. – Sterling, 36900 Schoenherr Rd., Sterling Heights, MI 48312 Following the service, there will be a commemorative lunch from 1:00 – 3:00 at Oakmont Sterling, 41155 Pond View Dr, 3rd, Floor, Sterling Heights, MI 48314 (586) 217 3908 Kevin believed in helping others whenever possible. Therefore, the family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the charity of your choice, in his honor. Please share memories with the family on their "On-Line Guestbook" @ WujekCalcaterra

Kevin Peter de Matas

June 3, 1935 - September 9, 2022