Gary Jozwiak and his wife, Dee Jozwiak, had four children and seven grandchildren.
Jozwiak, a longtime football and track coach and math teacher at Midland High School, passed away on Saturday, February 8, 2025, at his home in Arizona at 85.
Highlights
- Gary Jozwiak passed away on February 8, 2025, at 85, in Arizona.
- Jozwiak married Dee Jozwiak in 1959 and were blessed with four children.
- Dee Jozwiak was born to her late father, Oscar H., and her mother, Ruth I. (Hoffman) Hahn.
Terry Wilczek, who succeeded Gary as the Chemics’ head varsity football coach in 1999, remembered his mentor as ” a complicated guy but also a simple guy.” He added,
“Jozy was a very humble man, not boastful at all. To me and to a lot of us around him, he was a friend but also our mentor and the guy we all wanted to be like,” “He was a genuine, honest guy and a very nice man,”
Terry Wilczek
According to former Midland High assistant football and track coach Dave Arnold, Jozwiak had recently suffered from declining health. Arnold added,
“He had a stroke about three months ago and never fully recovered from it,” “He got progressively worse, and then he went into a coma on Sunday. He fought like only he can fight, trying to stay alive, but he’s in a better place now.”
Dave Arnold
Arnold coached football alongside Jozwiak from 1968 to 1972 and served as Jowiak’s assistant track coach for four seasons. He said that Gary was a numbers man before that became fashionable.
After playing football at Midland High and graduating in 1957, he played at the University of Wyoming from 1957 to 1961 before returning to Midland High in 1964 to become a teacher and coach.
As the Chemics’ track coach from 1966 to 1996, Jozwiak guided MHS to eight Saginaw Valley League championships and two regional titles.
From 1975 to 1998, he led the Chemics to 10 SVL titles, seven undefeated regular seasons, 10 playoff berths, and state runner-up finishes in 1990 and 1997.
He retired with a career record of 178-59, which made him the winningest football coach in the Valley at the time.
Gary Jozwiak And Dee Was Married For Around 66 Years
Gary Jozwiak married Dee Jozwiak on August 22, 1959, after dating for several years. Sadly, their married life ended after 66 years following the tragic death of Gary.
She is mourning the death of her husband. Close ones and relatives have poured their heartfelt condolences to Jozwiak’s family so they can stay strong in this challenging period.
Earlier in 2005, during the interview with Midland Daily News, when Dee was asked why Gary loves football so much, she answered,
“I think being a mathematics guy, he’s always trying to figure something out, and how to solve it,”
Dee Jozwiak
Dee Jozwiak was born in Saginaw to her late father, Oscar H., and her mother, Ruth I. (Hoffman) Hahn.
She grew up with her brother Oscar C. Hahn and sisters Rosemary Hauri and Karen Russell.
Her brother, Oscar, attended Midland Schools, graduating from Midland High School in 1957.
Oscar was also an outstanding athlete at Midland. He competed in football and track and received recognition during his junior and senior seasons. In 1956, he was an all-state running back.
He passed on January 23, 2016, at 78, in Woodland Hospice in Mt. Pleasant.
Coach Gary Jozwiak And Dee Jozwiak Had Four Children
Coach Gary Jozwiak and his wife Dee Jozwiak had four children: Debra, Dawn, Dana, and Greg Jozwiak.
However, his children have avoided social media, so only a little information about their personal lives is available.
Currently, they are mourning the tragic death of their devoted and supportive father, Gary.
In addition, Gary and Dee had seven grandchildren, three of whom got married in 2018.
As per the source, they are also a member of several halls, including the Midland High School Athletic Hall of Fame, the Midland County Sports Hall of Fame, the Michigan High School Coaches Hall of Fame, and the University of Wyoming Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the Cowboys’ 1959 football team.
Additional Information
- Gary was selected as the Regional Football Coach of the Year 9 times and Saginaw Valley Coach of the Year several times. In 1996, he was honored as the State Coach of the Year.
- Dee’s brother Oscar owned Homes by Hahn and started the Building Trades program at Midland High School. He was married to former Judith Burmeister, which ended in divorce.
- Dee’s mother passed away on February 9, 2008, at 92, at Tendercare of Midland.
