by
Mike Ilitch
The Ilitch family will honor Mike Ilitch at a private funeral service, but will give the public two chances this week to honor the pizza king and sports magnate.
On Monday, beginning at 1 p.m., outside Comerica Park near the tiger statue, fans are invited to share memories and condolences.
On Wednesday, a public visitation in the Fox Theatre lobby runs from noon to 8 p.m., the family announced. Ilitch died Friday at 87.
"To everyone who has so graciously remembered Mike Ilitch, we extend a heartfelt thank you," a statement says. "The volume of condolences and kind wishes overwhelms us, and we appreciate it more than words can express.
"We know that he would've been touched by the outpouring of support, especially from this community that he so loved. We will miss him tremendously, and we are grateful, humbled and comforted to know that his lifetime was filled with well-lived moments."
Ilitch owned the Detroit Red Wings since 1982 and the Tigers since 1992. He started Little Caesars in 1959 with a pizza shop in Garden City. It is now the third biggest pizza chain in the U.S. behind Pizza Hut and Domino's Pizza.
Tigers Manager Brad Ausmus issues a statement:
"I worked for Mr. I as both a player and as a manager. I can honestly say it was an honor to work for a man who made winning the priority. Baseball is a business, but Mr. I was a baseball player who became a businessman. He loved baseball, and my memories will always be centered around the passion with which he talked about it."
