Ricky Karnesky

Ricky Charles Karnesky, 73 passed away on March 19, 2023. He was born on April 16,1949, in Detroit Michigan to Charles Karnesky and Marilyn (Bedford) Karnesky. Ricky had three siblings, Linda Pagett, Charlene Klasner, and Craig Karnesky. His nieces and nephews: Scott Stratton and his children Milkayla, Gavin, and Chloe; Jeremy Scratton and Jacqueline (Clifford) Scratton and their kids Casey, Delaney, Sydney, Riley; Kristen (Stratton) Buchzeiger and Ryan Buchzeiger; and Nikki (Karnesky) Scott and Cameron Scott, Nikki Karnesky, and Kayla Karnesky.

Ricky was a hilarious and caring husband and father, as well as a friend to many. He graduated from Detroit Cathedral High School in 1967 where he was on the basketball team for all four years. Though, he adored playing a variety of sports, volleyball, tennis, softball, and golf. He had a thirty-seven year career with Detroit Edison and retired in 2006. He loved music, camping, telling jokes, and watching U of M play any sport, but mostly football and basketball. He had a very quick wit all his life and the Dad jokes were endless.

He loved and cherished his beautiful wife and soulmate Susan (Duffy) Karnesky. They were married for over 43 years and had two children he adored: Kelly Karnesky, his secret agent man, and Rochelle (Karnesky) Olmsted, his darling angel. As a Dad, he had an endless supply of imagination, he would make up silly stories on the spot. He was a big kid himself and was always down with playing with his kids and enjoyed spoiling them too. Playing in the puddles in the rain, Fee Five Foe Thumb, or just chasing us around outside.

Ricky’s son-in-law Jon Olmsted relished in each other’s Dad jokes and delighted some great meals together. His favorite granddaughter Aurora Polzin always brought a smile to his face, along with his humorous step-grandkids: Aidan Olmsted, Noah Olmsted, and Cole Olmsted. Ric loved watching AFV with Aurora and when they were together it was all laughs. Ric had a one in a million laugh. He laughed fully without holding back a little. HAAAAAha! It was almost between a bellow and a holler in laughter form.

One of Ric’s ways he expressed love was through cooking for his family and friends. He loved new ways to cook as well, had to have the newest thing to help him cook, the last one being a ninja smoker that used wood pellets. He treasured Susie’s large family and loved making his famous breakfast casserole for Christmas; as well as his Christmas mixtapes or cd’s; Jack Duffy and Carol Wilson-Duffy, MaryKay (Duffy) Wirth and Doug Wirth, Ann Duffy, Pat Duffy, Carole (Duffy) Darby and Bob Darby, Peggy Duffy, Karen (Duffy) Shelton and Kevin Shelton, Bill Duffy, and Mike Duffy. He had a plethora of nieces and nephews as well: Amy (Duffy) Niethammer and Ryan Niethammer; Mary Beth (Wirth) Bratten and Bob Bratten and their daughter Anna; Duffy Wirth; Megan (Wirth) Dudek, Dan Dudek, and their son Danny; Tracy Darby; Kristy (Darby) Bauer, Jody Bauer, and their son Gavin; Bobby Darby, Elena (Panagiotides) Darby, and their two kids Hayden and Carson; Jonathan Duffy and Jeanie Smith; Andy Shelton and Ashley (Wolfe) Shelton and their son Jack; Kaylee Shelton and her daughter Korynn; Tyler Duffy and her sons Will and Greyson; MaryAnn Duffy and Christopher Williams and their son Cooper; and Ashley (Duffy) Geiger and Devin Geiger.

Ric had a large group of wonderful friends from Precious Blood Elementary School like Gilly, Dave, John, Greg, his neighborhood friends like Maureen, Susie, and Mary Ann; fun cousins, co-workers from DTE, in-laws, and all his friends from the sport leagues he was on. From meeting up his friends in the bleacher seats of the Tigers; to bringing Susie that first time when she had a hotdog that fell out of her bun and left mustard all down her white blouse. Playing cards with his friends on Tuesday nights. As well, as a group of friends from Mount Carmel that would go up to Indian River yearly and grew with more and more friends as time went on. Ric would bring all the music for the parties and gatherings.

After retirement, Ric enjoyed the winters in Florida talking to the neighbors from different states in the screen room with his Susie. During the summer he enjoyed being on the front porch with neighborhood friends reminiscing about the good ole days in Michigan.

Ricky has asked for no service but instead his family and friends will gather at a later date and have a party to remember him by. If you’d like to make a donation, he requested you donate to the U of M football team. Just kidding, he asked for no donations, but if you feel the need to, pick an organization to do so.