Mike Ilitch, founder of Little Caesars Pizza, owner of the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings, Chairman of Ilitch Holdings, and champion for Detroit, died Friday, Feb. 10 at a local hospital. He was 87.
“My father was a once-in-a-generation entrepreneur, visionary and leader, setting the tone for our organization and our family,” said Christopher Ilitch, President and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, Inc. “He made such a positive impact in the world of sports, in business and in the community, and we will remember him for his unwavering commitment to his employees, his passion for Detroit, his generosity to others and his devotion to his family and friends. Together my family and the company celebrate the tremendous man he was, and we will continue to work hard to uphold his remarkable legacy. I’m honored to have had the opportunity to work with him to nurture and grow our businesses, but mostly, I’m grateful to have called him my Dad, and I know my siblings feel the same.”
Mike Ilitch’s life is a remarkable American success story. He was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1929 to Macedonian immigrants Sotir Ilitch and Sultana Tasseff Ilitch who came to the United States in 1924. He had one brother Peter who died in 2009. Ilitch was educated in Detroit where he attended Clinton Elementary, Post Intermediate and Cooley High School, where he was an All-City athlete in baseball and track.
Upon graduation from high school in 1947, the Detroit Tigers offered him a minor league contract, but he decided instead to join the U.S. Marine Corps. Ilitch served from 1948-1952 at Parris Island, Quantico and Pearl Harbor. Ilitch took great pride in serving his country and credits the values and discipline he learned while serving keys to his success as a businessman and entrepreneur.
After discharge from the Marines, the Tigers again offered Ilitch a minor league contract; he played shortstop in the minor league system for four seasons (1952-1955) making it to AAA and hitting over .300, until a knee injury ended his baseball career. He later worked as a door-to-door salesman until he and his wife Marian saved enough money to open the first Little Caesars in Garden City, Michigan on May 8, 1959.
Today, Ilitch Holdings, Inc. provides professional services to the companies owned by Mike and/or Marian Ilitch. The Ilitch companies employ 23,000 full-time and part-time colleagues worldwide and posted revenues of $3.4 billion in 2016. The Ilitch companies include: Ilitch Holdings, Little Caesars Pizza, Blue Line Foodservice Distribution, the Detroit Red Wings, the Detroit Tigers, Olympia Entertainment, Olympia Development, Little Caesars Pizza Kits Fundraising Program and Champion Foods. Marian Ilitch owns the MotorCity Casino Hotel.
True to Mr. Ilitch’s vision for a bustling downtown area, the Ilitch organization will continue its transformational District Detroit project under Christopher Ilitch’s leadership, transforming dozens of blocks of largely vacant land in Downtown Detroit into a dynamic, vibrant area for everyone in the community to enjoy. The District Detroit will include office, retail and residential spaces, as well as the new Little Caesars Arena. The $1.2 billion project is expected to have a $2.1 billion total economic impact on Detroit, the region and Michigan.
Ilitch Charities and its affiliates, the Detroit Red Wings Foundation and the Detroit Tigers Foundation, have given more than $35 million in cash and in-kind contributions to deserving organizations across the community since 2005. Additionally, Mr. and Mrs. Ilitch have personally gifted nearly $50 million to Detroit’s Wayne State University, $40 million of which was dedicated to establish the new Mike Ilitch School of Business, which will train and educate the next generation of the city’s great entrepreneurs.
Ilitch has received numerous business, cultural, and philanthropic awards, including:
• The International Franchise Association Hall of Fame (2016)
• SportsBusiness Journal’s “The Champions: Pioneers and Innovators in Sports Business (2014)
• US Hockey Hall of Fame induction (2004)
• Michigan Sports Hall of Fame induction (2004)
• National Hockey League Hall of Fame (2003)
• Ellis Island Medal of Honor (1997)
A visionary, true leader, and dear friend, Mike Ilitch will be forever missed by everyone at the Ilitch companies.
Memorials
The family will honor Mr. Ilitch at a private funeral service. An opportunity for members of the public to pay their respects is also being planned. Details will be announced as soon as they are finalized.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to:
Ilitch Charities www.IlitchCharities.org
The Detroit Red Wings Foundation
https://redwings.nhl.com/club/microhome.htm?location=/foundation
The Detroit Tigers Foundation
https://Detroit.Tigers.mlb.com/det/community/foundation.jsp
Statement from Mayor Duggan:
“Mike Ilitch was more than just a shrewd, successful businessman. He was a Detroiter through-and-through. Whether he was making pizza, building successful sports and entertainment franchises or supporting youth organizations in our city, “Mr. I” helped to bring thousands of jobs and opportunities to our city and attract millions of dollars of investment.
More than all of this, he was a family man. I know how Mike Ilitch adored his family and how his family adores him. My heart goes out to Marian, their children and the entire Ilitch family at this difficult time.”
Statement from U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell: “Mike Ilitch was a giant for Detroit and Southeast Michigan who spent his life nurturing and giving back to the city and state he loved. His drive and vision – and passion for sports – helped contribute to the revival of downtown Detroit, helped make us the pizza capital of the world, and brought us four Stanley Cups and two trips to the World Series. Through it all, Mike never lost touch. He was a real guy, and as much as he loved Detroit, his true love was his wife Marian and their seven children. John and I were honored to call Mike a friend, and our prayers are with Marian and the family.”
Statement from Rodrick T. Miller, president and CEO of Detroit Economic Growth Corporation: “Mike Illitch, a first generation American, exemplified the essence of Detroit. Through grit, tenacity, and savvy he built a global empire from a meager start in a single storefront. His life is an inspiration for any entrepreneur who chooses Detroit as a place to dream big and work hard. His investments in the city have been catalytic for our recovery, and his legacy will endure for generations to come.”
About Ilitch Holdings, Inc.
Ilitch Holdings, Inc. provides professional services to the companies owned by Mike and/or Marian Ilitch. The Ilitch companies in the food, sports and entertainment industries collectively employ 23,000 full-time and part-time colleagues worldwide and posted revenues of $3.4 billion in 2016. The Ilitch companies include: Ilitch Holdings, Little Caesars Pizza, Blue Line Foodservice Distribution, the Detroit Red Wings, the Detroit Tigers, Olympia Entertainment, Olympia Development, Little Caesars Pizza Kits Fundraising Program and Champion Foods. Marian Ilitch owns the MotorCity Casino Hotel.