Douglas R. Plzak, 72, of Leland, NC, passed away on Oct. 31, 2018, after a brief illness.
Doug was the son of Robert and Genevieve Plzak, raised in Antigo and Columbus, WI. He moved to Michigan to attend college at General Motors Institute (Kettering University) and enjoyed a 37-year engineering career with GM. He was proud to be associated with the opening of the first GM plant in Shanghai, China. Doug’s many interests included motorsports, both as a participant and a spectator, cruising and showing his beloved 1962 Corvette as a member of the GMC Corvette Set and Cape Fear Corvette Club. He loved his Nordic Tugs, cruising the Great Lakes, and seasons docked at the Detroit Yacht Club. Doug also logged many miles of tandem bicycling, completing the 750-mile Paris-Brest-Paris endurance ride, as well as tandem tours throughout the US and Europe.
Another passion was folk music, which began with playing guitar in his high school band the Caliente Trio, to his enjoyment of Wilmington’s talented musicians. Finally, Doug loved football, and even though the Packers sometimes disappointed, he always enjoyed hosting an annual Super Bowl party—34 of them! Recently Doug began volunteering with the American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery Program and was inspired by the courage shown by patients.
Surviving Doug is his wife of 33 years, Janet; his brother John Plzak (Cheryl) of Fenton, MI; sister-in-law Elaine Wallace (Bob) of Palm Coast, FL, and nephews Douglas Goodman (Donna Tierney) of Raleigh; and Andrew Goodman (Julia Harr) of New York. Also left behind is his beloved Brittany spaniel, Nicki. A celebration of his life will be held on Monday, November 12th at 11 a.m. in Blossoms Magnolia Room, Magnolia Greens, 1800 Tommy Jacobs Drive, Leland, NC. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Doug’s favorite cause, Leader Dogs for the Blind, 1039 S. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, MI 48307. Online condolences are encouraged and may be offered at www.whitefuneralservicesupply.com. –Cdr Ronald Tilmon
