Mr. Carol Lechlak

The cause of death was cancer , said Carol Lechlak , his wife of 45 years.

Mr. Lechlak operated his tool-and-die business 30 years , first on West Bancroft Street and later in the Stone Oak Industrial Park at Central Avenue and Centennial Road.He retired in 1998.

If he did a job , you never got it back , Mrs. Lechlak said.

A lifelong Toledo native , Mr. Lechlak attended St. Adalbert School and graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1952.After graduation , he became a tool-and-die apprentice at the former Gerity-Schultz Corp. and worked at GM Powertrain for about five years.

He didn't like the quality of work [ at Powertrain ] , Mrs. Lechlak said.It wasn't good enough for him..

At home , Mr. Lechlak operated a woodworking shop in his basement , where he crafted hobby horses and cribs for his grandchildren and other gifts for his family and friends.

He was a man who could make or fix anything , Mrs. Lechlak said.

Active in Boy Scouts as a child , he rose through the ranks but fell short of Eagle Scout because of a dislike of the water.Mr. Lechlak became a scout leader for the troop that included each of his four sons.

He was fair and compassionate , and encouraged them [ the scouts ] that nothing was too hard to accomplish if they set their minds to it , Mrs. Lechlak said.

Mr. Lechlak was successful enough to put each of his six children through parochial schools and college , an achievement his daughter , Cindy Krizman , always will recall fondly.

He started out as a factory guy , like his Dad , but decided he was going to make it on his own. [ Then ] he encouraged us to be professionals and every one of his children [ is ].That's why we admired him , she said.

Mr. Lechlak was an avid golfer and for many years was a member of the Saint Hyacinth Holy Name Society.

Surviving are his wife , Carol ; daughters , Cindy Krizman and Julie Lechlak-Bagot ; sons , Dennis , Jerome , Scott , and Tom Lechlak ; mother , Josephine Lechlak ; sister , Rose Golaszewski , and 10 grandchildren.

Services will be 11 a.m. tomorrow at St. Hyacinth Church.Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. tonight at Thomas I. Wisniewski Funeral Home , 2426 North Reynolds Rd. , where the Rosary will be recited at 7.

The family asks that tributes be made to St. Hyacinth Church , Central Catholic High School , or a charity of the donor's choice.