Alice Gromak

Alice May (Davy) Gromak, age 79, longtime resident of Mattawan, died on Saturday, August 6, after a fierce and brave battle with cancer while she was lovingly cared for by her children in their family home under the guidance of hospice care. With her personality and sense of humor intact through the end, Alice passed away gently with all four of her children by her side.

Alice was born April 18, 1943 to William and Hilda (Krumrei) Davy in Chicago, IL. She was the second youngest in a family with five brothers and sisters. Being part of such a large family with years of childhood memories, it instilled in her a love and dedication to family. She considered herself a regular Laura Ingalls on roller skates. Alice would babysit many of her nephews and nieces and loved to retell stories of their antics as they grew up. Her stories were a big hit at family gatherings, with many wondering if they would be the next to be embarrassed by a tale of their youth. She and her stories will surely be missed.

Formerly Miss Chicago Marine, Alice met and married the love of her life, Thomas Fredrick Gromak, on April 4, 1964. Early in their dating Tom told his mother, “No, this isn’t just another girl, this girl is the one I’m going to marry.” He was completely taken by her kindness, charm and smile. One evening he went to meet Alice and he asked for his class ring back, saying he no longer wanted to “go-steady” with her. Alice felt devastated until he pulled out a diamond ring and instead, asked her to marry him. Together they shared 54 incredible years (55 if you asked Alice as it was “close enough”) before his death in 2019 only two days prior to their 55th Wedding Anniversary.

In 1964 Alice and Tom welcomed the first addition to their family, a son and namesake, Tom Jr. He was the pride and joy of the family for three years until they welcomed their first beautiful daughter, Gail Lynne in 1967. Less than two years later in 1968, another bundle of smiles came along with their second daughter, Heidi. A short time later the family of five chose to relocate from the city life of the Chicago area to the small, rural, country village of Mattawan, Michigan. Two years later in 1970 the family grew to six with the birth of their fourth child, a special little bundle and third daughter, Donna. Alice was a proud Mother of all four of her children and would brag on each of them whenever the opportunity presented itself.

The move to Michigan was a choice that Alice and Tom often wondered about, thinking their kids would miss out on the many things the city offered that they had experienced. Instead, with the move to Michigan, they were treated to home grown veggies from their garden, planting of colorful trees, shrubs and bushes creating the woods she had always wished to live in. Her love of animals brought to the family, pet ducks, family dogs, snuggly kittens and fish! Her children introduced her to Rocket Football and Town & Country softball which brought pride to their hearts and smiles to their faces as she watched them grow and play. On cold fall Saturdays, Alice would make a thermos of hot chocolate to keep everyone warm, encouraging the girls to yell “Go Go Chargers” as they cheered Tom on in his football games. Alice became a dedicated softball coach to all three of her girls and their friends. She was very diligent in learning some of the more complicated rules so that the male coaches could not get away with any unfairness. Needing an umpire, she called on Tom who would be her very impartial umpire, calling a fair game for all the kids of both teams. After many years of coaching and keeping the scorebook, Alice became one of the first female Presidents of the Mattawan Little league. Under her guidance they began a fund which would eventually lead to the purchase of the fields that the league still uses today.

Alice will be remembered for her warm, accepting, and open-minded demeanor and as someone who drew others near with ease. A devoted wife, a wonderful mother, and an enthusiastic grandmother, Alice was the sort of person who radiated goodness. She was a fantastic teller of stories and loved to boast about the accomplishments of her children and grandchildren. She was always willing to lend an ear or hand to those she loved. She was not only a mother to her four children, but to their friends who would make their way into their home and her heart. Many of those friends would come calling just to talk to Alice to get her advice or because they knew she would be a good person to talk with to help work through their problems or just listen.

Alice and Tom enjoyed many years raising their family and later in life enjoying each other which included time with their wooden Criss Craft boat that they kept in St. Joseph, MI, enjoying outings on it exploring the Lake Michigan shores. For several more years they traversed their way to Florida in their Challenger RV, spending time visiting with their daughter Gail and their grandchildren in Kissimmee. Alice loved to watch Cubs baseball, even though she grew up a White Sox fan. She would attend White Sox games as a teen on Ladies Day quite frequently. Bowling was a favorite activity she did for years, one that was sparked as she shared it with her mother when they were younger as well as with her own children as they became young adults. There were many lifelong friends that came out of the time she spent at the bowling center.

In each moment we meet life’s challenges with confidence, gather lovingly as a family, and choose joy, we celebrate the many ways Alice blessed and gifted our lives. Alice will live on through each of us with the memories of her that we hold most dear. Her love for the Christmas holiday has created a legacy that will continue to live on. When her children were young, she would play her Teenie Genie organ while they stood by her side singing Christmas carols, leaving wonderful memories for all. Watching the colorfully painted sky of the sunset over South Haven, a scenic boat ride on Sherman Lake, the tulips pushing the dirt up in the spring bringing a fresh new season and fun filled days of thrifting on a quest for the best "treasures". The Red cardinal, the white bunny, yellow roses and everything blue, all little reminders of her.

Surviving members of her family include her son Thomas (Dana Wakiji) Gromak Jr. of St. Clair Shores; daughters Gail (Christian) Dawkins of Kissimmee, FL; Heidi Gromak, of Paw Paw, and Donna (Brett) Beatty of Augusta; grandchildren, Cross Caputo of Charleston SC, Kaila Caputo of Kissimmee, FL, Christian and Tyler Dawkins of Kissimmee, FL, Alec, Conner, and Erik Beatty, of Augusta, and Kristin Walker of Portage, and is survived by her siblings Will Davy, Harry (Mary) Davy, David (Kathy) Davy, Donna Anfield and Judy (Ray) Schwandt, many nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.

The family will be planning a Celebration of Life to honor and celebrate Alice’s life with shared stories of the legacy she leaves behind. The Celebration and details will be announced at a later date.