age 77, passed away peacefully at his home on April 16, 2011. Georgersquo;s patience, positive attitude, generosity, and courage throughout his illness were an inspiration to all who knew him. He will be missed. Born in !--?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /--st1:city w:st="on"st1:place w:st="on"Detroit/st1:place/st1:city on December 9, 1933 to Dorothy and James Kousak, he became the fortunate recipient of a heart transplant in 1988. He appreciated every moment of the last 23 years of life that the gift of a new heart had made possible. Early on, George learned the value of caring for others, and later followed a family tradition of chiropractic care, graduating as a Doctor of Chiropractic from st1:placename w:st="on"Lincoln/st1:placename st1:placename w:st="on"Chiropractic/st1:placename st1:placetype w:st="on"College/st1:placetype in st1:state w:st="on"st1:place w:st="on"Indiana/st1:place/st1:state. Devoted to his profession, patients, and staff, he poured himself into an active practice for more than 50 years. His enthusiasm and zest for life were infectious. Whether it was skiing, backyard volleyball, eating good food, sailing, telling stories, or taking in nature and observing wildlife, George enjoyed life to the fullest. Tailgating in st1:city w:st="on"st1:place w:st="on"Ann Arbor/st1:place/st1:city and sharing the UM football stands with his friends were some of his happiest times. Father to Karen Amidon and Maureen (JB) Barnitt, stepfather to Teri (John) Williams and Leslie (Bill) Healy, he loved spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren Brontersquo;, Anna, Rebekah, John, Joshua, and Lisse. Also surviving is his cherished cousin Mildred (Bud) Lindland, whom he grew up with, and many more special family members. The family is especially grateful for long-time friend and caregiver, Janet Barron. He was preceded in death by his loving parents and stepfather George Smitz, beloved grandson Erik Kolomitz, and treasured wife Lois. /A memorial service will be held at a later date. Remembering Georgersquo;s love of pets Rusty and Pumpkin, please consider a contribution to the st1:place w:st="on"st1:placename w:st="on"Drayton Plains/st1:placename st1:placename w:st="on"Nature/st1:placename st1:placetype w:st="on"Center/st1:placetype/st1:place. Donate the Gift of Life. Go Blue! /