Edward F. Barlage, Jr.

Edward F. Barlage, Jr. of Plymouth Michigan, passed on February 24, 2023 at the age of 80. He was born in Detroit, Michigan on September 30, 1942 to Edward and Margaret Barlage, the second of twelve children. Ed grew up in Willis, MI and graduated from St. Thomas High School in 1961, where he learned how to ballroom dance—something he enjoyed throughout his life. Ed married Geraldine (Caskie) on September 8, 1967 at St. Gregory the Great Parish in Detroit. 

Ed was a country boy at heart, who excelled at working with his hands.  His first job was picking corn on a farm, and he had a lifelong love of farm equipment such as tractors and implements.  After he and Geraldine married, he started to experience the wider world and later in life travelled to a great many places both in the United States and abroad.  He told stories about those trips for the rest of his life.  He also liked horses and horseback riding and was very curious about the world around him. 

He made his career as a Master Plumber / Pipe Fitter.  He worked on many large projects such as Fermi nuclear power-plant and Ford Rouge and Romulus High School as a union plumber for Local 98.  He then worked at General Motors for 24 years, first at Livonia Spring & Bumper, then at the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant.  There, he was responsible for robots that installed windshields and painted the Cadillacs that the plant produced.  He was a very gifted tradesman and craftsman who took pride in everything he did.  He had great passion for American manufacturing and wanted only the best for his beloved State of Michigan.

Ed and Geraldine had three children, Catherine Allen (David) Edward Barlage III (Jean) and Alisa Barlage (Brandon). He treasured his grandchildren—Leif, Edward IV, Grace and Caitlyn—and enjoyed boasting about their accomplishments, rooting at their games, matches, meets and performances, taking them on trips and watching them grow. 

He is survived by four sisters, Carmelita Hartmann, Patricia Noworyta (Duane), Donna Barlage, and Terese Blumhardt and two brothers, David (Cherie), and Jude (Diana), and a brother-in-law, William Martin.

Ed was predeceased by his wife of 50 years, Geraldine, his parents Edward and Margaret Barlage, two sisters, Irene Laurain and Mary Ann Fielder and three brothers, Daniel, John and Tony.

A visitation will be held at the Schrader-Howell Funeral Home, located at 280 South Main Street in Plymouth, on March 3 from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM.  The memorial service will be on March 4 at 11:00 AM, also at the Schrader-Howell Funeral Home. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to PBS Detroit Public TV, Riley Broadcast Center
1 Clover Court, Wixom, MI 48393 or online at Detroit Public TV or the Belle Isle Conservancy, 300 River Place Drive, Suite 2800
Detroit, MI 48207 or online at Belle Isle Conservancy

Contribution envelopes will be available at the Funeral Home.