Richard Stanley Bilski
Richard (Dick) Bilski passed away peacefully on 12 July, 2025. He was 95 years old. Richard was born the oldest of 5 children to Stan and Sophia Bilski in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1930 and grew up in a close-knit Polish-American community during the Depression. He was a hard worker even as a child, picking cherries and corn at a local farm, delivering papers, and any other work he could find, while still finding time to play lots of baseball.
After graduating from Catholic Central High School, Richard spent his 20’s continuing to work hard while having fun. He was a boxer, played second base on a semi-pro baseball team, attended Notre Dame football games, and socialized at the Polish halls and with his family. After training as a welder in Cincinnati, Richard traveled to many union jobs from New York to Florida, returning home to Grand Rapids in between jobs. On one visit home he met Monica McConnell at an Acquinas College dance, settling down soon afterward in 1958 in what resulted in a very long and very happy marriage.
The couple moved to Muskegan, Michigan, built a house, opened the Grey Goose Tavern, and had three daughters, Stacey, Mary, and Rosemarie. On weekends the family went exploring in Richard’s classic Model A or Willys Jeepster. Both Richard and Monica worked at the bar, with much help from Richard’s father Stan and brothers Larry and Herman. After only a few years Monica persuaded Richard to head west, so they sold their house and business, packed up trailer and daughters, and headed west in 1963 to search for a great place to raise a family (with no snow!). Realizing during the trip that Monica was pregnant, they temporarily settled in Whittier, California, where twins Stephanie and Stan were born. They took many road trips around Southern California searching for the perfect place to live, eventually falling in love with the Santa Barbara area and moving to Goleta in 1965 to raise their family.
Richard traveled around California working construction jobs through the Pipe Fitters Union, specializing in hydraulic controls for projects including oil platforms off the SoCal coast and the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. The nature of construction allowed him time between jobs to take his family on long summer adventures in their camper visiting National Parks and interesting places, with some of the more memorable trips including a visit to family to Michigan. Richard was a long time member of St. Raphael’s Parish, the Knights of Columbus, and the Santa Barbara Elks Lodge. He very much enjoyed working in his garden, spending time with family (especially if a game of Setback was involved!), and could be seen walking the neighborhood well into his 90s. Having left the Model A and Jeepster back in Michigan, he continued to purchase and work on classic cars, including a rare 1954 red convertible Kaiser Darrin he bought for Monica, number 48 of only 435 built, and at least five 1965-69 Mustangs for family members. Although Richard loved California, he very much enjoyed traveling to Notre Dame games or Michigan to visit his old haunts and spend time with family reminiscing, playing Setback, eating kielbase, meeting the new children, and listening to polka music.
Richard was preceded in death by his parents Stan and Sophia, wife Monica, son Stan, daughter Rose, brothers Donnie and Larry (Diana), and sister Esther (Ted Szotko). He is survived by his brother Herman (Regina), daughters Stacey Bilski, Mary Kohler (David), and Stephanie Robbins, grandchildren Joe Yonke (Bernadette Bascom), John Yonke (Alison), Kristin Vega (Mark), Craig Kohler (Stefani), Scott Kohler, Janelle Weichman (Ryan), Steven Kohler, and nine great grandchildren. His family will remember him as a fun-loving, hardworking patriarch who led a long and full life. A private mass at St Raphael’s Church and internment at Calvary Cemetery were held on 4 Aug. Donations can be made to Bishop Garcia Diego High school in Santa Barbara in his memory.
