Robert "Bob" Byczynski

RSB 6.12.40-4.5.2026

Our Dad, Robert “Bob” Byczynski (6/12/40), met the love of his life, Kathaleen “Kathy” Gochik , in 1966 while working at a bank—an ordinary place that led to anything but an ordinary life. Ask Mom and she’ll tell you they had a great life, had a wonderful family that they were proud of. “He was the best husband”, she will say. They both knew right away they were meant to be. After many adventures, they were married on May 11, 1968 at Gesu Church, beginning a partnership built on love, laughter, and family. Soon after, they were blessed with their daughters, Amy and then Tara.

Every kid says they have the best dad—but ours truly was. He filled our childhood with unforgettable memories: family trips to Disney, swimming at Daytona Beach, the EX in Toronto, and so many other places. He took us to swimming, horseback riding, art, and bowling lessons—always showing up, always involved. He was a hands-on dad before that was even a thing. He would work six days a week at Jeep and still get up early on Sundays to read us Prince Valiant from the comics while Mom made breakfast, before taking us out to do something fun. Dad always put us first… well, until the grandchildren came.

Christmas was Dad’s favorite holiday, and every year he made sure it felt magical.Dad proudly took on the role of “official toy tester”—sometimes a little too seriously, with Mom reminding him the girls were sleeping and the toys needed to survive until morning. Mom will tell you he was always the one saying, “We don’t have enough under the tree,” and off they’d go shopping again. When the grandkids came along, that tradition only grew.

He was endlessly proud of us and raised us to be strong, independent women. He showed us what unconditional love looks like and how to truly support your partner. Our friends used to find it odd that our Dad did dishes, laundry and ran the vacuum. But that was him, always helping those he loved. When we married John Mathias and Nick Davis, he welcomed them with open arms and loved them like his own sons. He would talk about Tigers Baseball and Redwings Hockey with Nick and Cars with John.

As wonderful as he was as a Dad, becoming “Poppa” brought him a whole new kind of joy. His grandchildren, Paige Davis and John Mathias were truly the light of his life. When Paige was born, Mom said he couldn’t open his wallet fast enough to buy flowers. When JR arrived, he was right there at the hospital, waiting. He taught Paige—at four years old—how to be a clever, competitive Monopoly player, and with JR, he rediscovered the simple joy of building Legos, one piece at a time. He happily volunteered for school pickups, t-ball practices, and anything else he could. There were many weekends where one of the two of them were having a sleepover. He never told his grandchildren no. He took them to Disney, rode all the rides with them, just like he did with us. He could not have been prouder of them. Ask them, and they’ll tell you—he was the best Poppa ever.

Dad loved the beach. He would take us to Florida almost every year when the Jeep plant shut down in the summer. He could sit for hours watching the waves roll in, especially as the sun dipped below the horizon. Siesta Key, Florida, was one of his favorite places to take 8 of us. He loved watching Mom walk the beach and collect seashells while we were in the water with Paige and JR. He was happiest with his feet in the sand, just taking it all in.

Like everyone, we hoped for more time—for Dad to see how Paige and JR’s lives would unfold. But that wasn’t meant to be. We know he’ll be watching from above, sending little signs, gentle reminders that he’s still with us.

Dad, we will miss you every single day for the rest of our lives. We know your best friend Tony was there to welcome you—probably with a scotch in hand. You know you’ll be watching over us and keeping us safe. We’ll take care of Mom.

We love you.❤️A&T

As per our Dads wishes there is to be no funeral, he didn’t like them. Please join us at the Point Place American Legion 5119 N Summit St, on Sunday, April 12, 2026, from 1:00–4:00 PM. Additional parking is available across the street, Stop in, share a hug, grab a bite to eat and spend some time with us as we remember our Dad.