Former Plymouth City Commissioner Ed Krol, 80, died June 6, 2022.
Mr. Krol was a key member of the city commission from 2017 - 2021 and colleagues said his efforts and contributions led to updated strategic plans and a new master plan for the city. Mr. Krol was a leader in advocating for and ultimately passing the 2019 street improvement millage which led to bike lanes and countless pedestrian improvements. His contributions to four detailed and award-winning city budgets kept Plymouth secure and moving forward even though a pandemic, officials added.
Mr. Krol was a strong proponent of strategic development in the city, and his votes helped breathe new life into the old Saxton's site and the new Pulte development on Mill Street.
His time on the commission started with a bang, literally, as less than a year into his service the power station on Farmer Street exploded.
Mr. Krol also served as a board member on the Zoning Board of Appeals where he honed a reputation for being fair and detailed, always prepared for a meeting and no grammatical error passed by his red pen untouched. He loved that work and unorthodoxly continued as a member of the zoning board while on the city commission, a testament to his expertise in that work.
Mr. Krol, a resident of the city since 2000, was a strong supporter of the Plymouth Arts and Recreation Center (PARC), which successfully rehabilitated the vacated Central High School building.
Mr. Krol earned a bachelor of science degree in biological science from Ferris State University, his masters degree in aquatic biology from Central Michigan University and completed his doctoral work in higher education at Wayne State University.
Mr. Krol spent 38 years teaching anatomy and physiology at Henry Ford Community College and served as the department chair for a time. He was exceptionally proud of his Polish heritage and always wore a traditional Christmas vest to city commission meetings in December. An avid runner, Mr. Krol completed more than a dozen marathons and was often seen running the streets of Plymouth until he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease around 2020, which damaged his mobility and speech. He resigned from the commission in late 2021.
Mr. Krol is survived by his wife, Barbara (Chylla) of Plymouth; a son, Edwin Michael Krol (Ashleigh) of Gainesville, GA; a daughter-in-law, Kristen Krol of Rochester; a sister, Judy Schmidt of Waterford; a brother, James Krol (Linda) of Bloomfield Hills; his grandchildren Alex, Chase, Will and Katie Krol; two stepdaughters, Elisabeth Young of Ferndale and Abigail (James) Semivan of Olympia, WA; many cousins, nieces nephews, grand-nieces and nephews, along with a host of friends.
Mr. Krol was predeceased by his parents, Ed and Jean; a brother-in-law, Melvin Schmidt; his first wife, Rita, and son, John David Krol.
Arrangements were entrusted to the Schrader-Howell Funeral Home.
