Stanley F. Petitpren, age 100, passed away peacefully on January 9, 2017. His family mourns the loss of a beloved husband, loving father and cherished grandfather and great grandfather. Stan was born January 28, 1916 in Fair Haven, Michigan to the late Frank and Grace (Christie) Petitpren. When Stan was three years old, the family moved to Mt. Clemens. Stan worked many jobs growing up, including as a caddy at Gowanie Golf Club, as a paperboy for the Monitor Leader (Macomb Daily), in his father's grocery store and running whiskey to speakeasies for his father who was a bootlegger during Prohibition. Stan had many great stories to tell about his time and in general. He married Myrene Quick on March 17, 1939 and they enjoyed 77 wonderful years together. They have spent the last 35 winters in Arizona. Their love of the west made that decision easy for him and Myrene.
Stan served his country in World War II as a Corpsman in the Navy. His father began selling beer after the Repeal of Prohibition in 1933. Stan worked for his father before the war and after returning home from the war he joined him again. He worked for his father until his father's death in 1947. He became President of Petitpren Inc. at that time and grew the company for the next 41 years until he retired at the age of 72.
Stan was a Past Commander and life-long member of the Mt. Clemens Amvets Post 29. He served as a board member at the YMCA, Boy Scouts of America and Mt. Clemens Bank. He was past President and long-time member of the Mt. Clemens Old Crowd and he was a long time member of the Mt. Clemens Juggle Up Club as well. Stan was also a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Clemens. Stan received many community awards and recognition including the Distinguished Citizen of the Year award from the paper he delivered as a kid, the Macomb Daily, in 1981. Stan had many hobbies. He started and enjoyed riding cutting horses at age 50 and started flying planes at the age of 55. Stan loved singing and did so at church, wedding, for friends and always at company birthday celebrations. He and Myrene enjoyed traveling, which included many countries.
Stan's greatest hobby was golf. He learned as a young man while watching others play when he was a caddy. He enjoyed playing with friends, co-workers and especially his daughter, Maureen. He continued to play into his 98th year. Stan's television was alway set to the Golf Channel.
He is survived by his wife, Myrene Petitpren; children, Dean (Diane) Petitpren and Maureen Petitpren. His grandchildren, Brad (Jennifer) Petitpren, Marci (Tim) Wahl and Kristi (Steven) Liska; eight great-grandchildren, and his sister, Grace Chaff. He is preceded in death by his brothers, Francis, Donald, Robert, James, Vincent and Leslie and his sisters, Elmyra Ernak and Dorothy Wylin.
Visiting hours are 2:00 - 8:00 p.m., Thursday, January 12, 2017 at Will and Schwarzkoff Funeral Home, 233 Northbound Gratiot, Mt. Clemens.
Funeral 10:30 a.m. (in state 9:30), Friday at First Presbyterian Church, Cass Avenue, Mt. Clemens.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Clemens or the Macomb Family YMCA of Mt. Clemens.