DETROIT,
Feb. 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mike Ilitch, founder
of Little Caesars Pizza, owner of the Detroit Tigers and Detroit
Red Wings, Chairman of Ilitch Holdings, and champion for
Detroit, died today at a local
hospital. He was 87.
"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, Inc. "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."
Mike Ilitch was married to
Marian Ilitch, his partner in life
and business for 61 years. They have seven adult children Denise
(Jim Scalici), Ron, Michael Jr.
(Noelle), Lisa (Glenn Murray),
Atanas (Patty), Christopher (Kelle), Carole, 22 grandchildren
and three great-grandchildren.
Mike Ilitch's life is a
remarkable American success story. He was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1929 to Macedonian
immigrants Sotir Ilitch and Sultana
Tasseff Ilitch who came to the United
States in 1924. He had one brother Peter who died in
2009. Ilitch was educated in Detroit where he attended Clinton Elementary,
Post Intermediate and Cooley High
School, where he was an All-City athlete in baseball and
track.
Upon graduation from high school in 1947, the Detroit Tigers
offered him a minor league contract, but he decided instead to join
the U.S. Marine Corps. Ilitch served from 1948-1952 at Parris
Island, Quantico and Pearl Harbor.
Ilitch took great pride in serving his country and credits the
values and discipline he learned while serving keys to his success
as a businessman and entrepreneur.
After discharge from the Marines, the Tigers again offered
Ilitch a minor league contract; he played shortstop in the minor
league system for four seasons (1952-1955) making it to AAA and
hitting over .300, until a knee injury ended his baseball career.
He later worked as a door-to-door salesman until he and his wife
Marian saved enough money to open the first Little Caesars in
Garden City, Michigan on
May 8, 1959.
That single mom and pop pizza shop grew into the world's largest
carryout pizza chain, with restaurants in 20 countries and
territories throughout the world. Success in the pizza business
enabled Ilitch to invest in other businesses in food, sports and
entertainment. All businesses are headquartered in the Detroit metropolitan area and will continue to
thrive under family ownership, led by President and CEO of Ilitch
Holdings, Inc., Christopher
Ilitch.
Today, Ilitch Holdings, Inc. provides professional services to
the companies owned by Mike and/or Marian
Ilitch. The Ilitch companies employ 23,000 full-time and
part-time colleagues worldwide and posted revenues of $3.4 billion in 2016. The Ilitch companies
include: Ilitch Holdings, Little Caesars Pizza, Blue Line
Foodservice Distribution, the Detroit Red Wings, the Detroit
Tigers, Olympia Entertainment, Olympia Development, Little Caesars
Pizza Kits Fundraising Program and Champion Foods. Marian Ilitch owns the MotorCity Casino
Hotel.
True to Mr. Ilitch's vision for a bustling downtown area, the
Ilitch organization will continue its transformational District
Detroit project under Christopher
Ilitch's leadership, transforming dozens of blocks of
largely vacant land in Downtown
Detroit into a dynamic, vibrant area for everyone in the
community to enjoy. The District Detroit will include office,
retail and residential spaces, as well as the new Little Caesars
Arena. The $1.2 billion project is
expected to have a $2.1 billion total
economic impact on Detroit, the
region and Michigan.
Mr. Ilitch believed passionately in giving back to the
community. Among his many contributions to others, Mr. Ilitch
established the Little Caesars Love Kitchen in 1985. With two
trucks on the road to serve those in need, these restaurants on
wheels have served more than three million people. Additionally,
inspired by the story of a veteran returning to civilian life,
Ilitch founded the Little Caesars Veterans Program in 2006. This
program provides honorably discharged veterans with financial
incentives and other support to help them open a franchise with
Little Caesars. Further, Ilitch established the Little Caesars
Amateur Hockey Program in 1968, and it has provided opportunities
for tens of thousands of youngsters to play the great game of
hockey over the years.
Ilitch Charities and its affiliates, the Detroit Red Wings
Foundation and the Detroit Tigers Foundation, have given more than
$35 million in cash and in-kind
contributions to deserving organizations across the community since
2005. Additionally, Mr. and Mrs. Ilitch have personally gifted
nearly $50 million to Detroit's Wayne State
University, $40 million of
which was dedicated to establish the new Mike Ilitch School of Business, which will train
and educate the next generation of the city's great
entrepreneurs.
Ilitch has received numerous business, cultural, and
philanthropic awards, including:
- The International Franchise Association Hall of Fame
(2016)
- SportsBusiness Journal's "The Champions: Pioneers and
Innovators in Sports Business (2014)
- US Hockey Hall of Fame induction (2004)
- Michigan Sports Hall of Fame induction (2004)
- National Hockey League Hall of Fame (2003)
- Ellis Island Medal of
Honor (1997)
In his hometown of Detroit,
Ilitch has been honored for his efforts in the community with the
Joe Louis Brown Bomber Jacket Award, the Distinguished Martin
Luther King Jr. Community Service Award, the Shining Light Regional
Cooperation Award and the Edward H. McNamara Goodfellow of the Year
Award.
A visionary, true leader, and dear friend, Mike Ilitch will be forever missed by everyone
at the Ilitch companies.
Memorials
The family will honor Mr. Ilitch at a
private funeral service. An opportunity for members of the public
to pay their respects is also being planned. Details will be
announced as soon as they are finalized.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made
to:
Ilitch
Charities
www.IlitchCharities.org
The Detroit Red Wings
Foundation
http://redwings.nhl.com/club/microhome.htm?location=/foundation
The Detroit Tigers
Foundation
http://Detroit.Tigers.mlb.com/det/community/foundation.jsp
About Ilitch Holdings, Inc.
Ilitch Holdings, Inc.
provides professional services to the companies owned by Mike
and/or Marian Ilitch. The Ilitch
companies in the food, sports and entertainment industries
collectively employ 23,000 full-time and part-time colleagues
worldwide and posted revenues of $3.4
billion in 2016. The Ilitch companies include: Ilitch
Holdings, Little Caesars Pizza, Blue Line Foodservice Distribution,
the Detroit Red Wings, the Detroit Tigers, Olympia Entertainment,
Olympia Development, Little Caesars Pizza Kits Fundraising Program
and Champion Foods. Marian Ilitch
owns the MotorCity Casino Hotel.
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SOURCE Ilitch Holdings, Inc.