Patrick James Shankie

Passed away at St. Mary Mercy Hospital in Livonia on Thursday, July 7, 2016 at the age of 72. Patrick was born in Detroit, the son of Gerald R. and Ruth E. ( Canham ) Shankie on November 13, 1943. He attended St. Scholastica school and graduated from Benedictine High. After graduation Patrick joined the United States Air Force and served for four years at Bunker Hill, later Grissom, Air Force Base in Indiana. After his discharge from service Patrick went to work for Michigan Bell and its successor companies retiring in 1998 after some thirty plus years of service. After his retirement he served as a contract employee for SBC training some of their staff. On February 12, 1971 he married the former Kathie Zajac and together they have shared a marriage of 45 years. As a couple they enjoyed traveling, especially cruising in the the Caribbean, their favorite stops, St. Thomas and St. Martin. Patrick also enjoyed going to the casino for some games of chance and playing golf with his brothers. Since its opening in Canton, the family have been members of St. John Neumann Catholic Church. Patrick's family was always first in his life and he is survived by his wife and their children Rebecca and Brandon King and Kevin and Tiffany Shankie. He was a loving " Papa " to his six grandchildren, Mackenzie, Emily, Abbey, Sarah, Jackson and Bailee and his siblings Gerald ( Phyllis Shankie, Thomas and Judy Shankie and Debbie and Jim Dimeo. Visitation will be held on Friday from 2 pm until 9 pm at the Schrader-Howell Funeral Home, 280 South Main Street, Plymouth. Visitation will continue on Saturday from 10 am until the time of the funeral mass at 10:30 am at St. Kenneth Catholic Church, 14951 Haggerty ( south of Five Mile ) Plymouth. Burial will follow at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield. A Rosary will be held at the funeral home at 7 pm Friday.