Judy Drapowski (left), widow of the late community activist Vince Drapowski, stands with community activist Angela Venegas during the Jan. 13 Dearborn Heights City Council meeting.
By SUE SUCHYTA
Times-Herald Newspapers
HEIGHTS – Longtime city council meeting attendee and speaker Vince Drapowski, 62, who died Dec.16, was remember by Mayor Mo Baydoun and others during the Jan. 13 council meeting.
Drapowski, who attended public meetings with an oxygen tank in tow, enjoyed speaking on community issues during citizen comment time and wasn’t shy about asking for extra time when he felt he needed it.
Community activist Vince Drapowski speaks at a Dearborn Heights City Council meeting.
Baydoun requested a two-minute moment of silence, the time allowed for public comment, before the meeting began to honor Drapowski, whom he said was “definitely looking down on Dearborn Heights.”
“He definitely loved this city, he loved this department and he’s probably swearing at me right now, as he always does,” he said amid laughter. “I can only imagine all the facial expressions he’s making today.”
Baydoun said he hasn’t chewed gum in two years because Drapowski told him to stop.
“I know this body here today would not want to start this meeting without doing a moment of silence for Vince Drapowski and doing a quick prayer,” he said.
Baydoun said that Drapowski would have told him to “get on with your damn meeting.”
He said it would be difficult to sit in the meeting realizing they would never again hear Drapowski’s voice.
“Vince will be forever in our hearts and he won’t be forgotten,” Baydoun said. “This meeting is in honor of Vince Drapowski, so this means there ought to be a lot of fighting, yelling and shouting.”
Judy Drapowski, Vince’s widow, thanked those present for their thoughtfulness, generosity and support.
She said her husband was unable to purchase life insurance because of his health history, so the donations she has received have been welcome.
Resident and fellow community activist Angela Venegas said Drapowski was a dear friend, whom she enjoyed sitting with during city council meetings.
“It’s a hard meeting for me,” she said. “He was a blessing to the city. He was a wealth of knowledge. He grew up here, and if you wanted to know something, you went to Vince, and if he didn’t have the answer, he’d find it out for you.
“He was just an all-around terrific guy.”
Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun remembers the late community activist Vince Drapowski during the Jan. 13 City Council meeting.