John Enkemann Jr Obituary

John Edward Enkemann, Jr., 70, of Northville, Michigan, died unexpectedly at his cottage in Hillman, Michigan on July 17, 2025. He was born on April 19, 1955, in Adrian, Michigan, the oldest child of John Edward Enkemann and Doris (Kapp) Enkemann. John lived in many cities throughout Michigan and Ohio as a child and an adult. He graduated from W. Bloomfield High School in 1973. He raised his family in Northville, Michigan.

John graduated in 1980 from Lawrence Technological University with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture. He began his career in 1976 at the firm of R.G. Meyers and Associates assisting in the design of custom residences while attending school. He began his career with Albert Kahn Associates, Inc. in 1978. John was involved in the design of many Kahn key projects over the years with Henry Ford, BMW, Kellogg and Caterpillar, just to name a few. One of his most favorite was the Hall of Justice in Lansing, Michigan. He dedicated nearly 40 years to Kahn and held key roles including Architect, a member of the Board of Directors, Director of Architectural Development, COO, Senior Vice President, and in 2010 until 2017 the Executive Vice President and Director of Operations. Even after retirement in 2017, he remained passionate and committed to Kahn.

John served on and chaired several boards during his career such as: The State of Michigan Board of Architects, The State of Michigan Fire Safety Board, The City of Novi Construction Board of Appeals, and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). Through his work with NCARB, he enjoyed working with other Architects from around the U.S. and the challenge of writing exam questions for their professional licensure from real-world examples. In an MLive interview in 2008 when asked what appealed to him about writing exam questions, he answered, “It is probably the most direct contribution to the profession I could ever make.”

John did not know a stranger. He was intelligent, quick-witted, compassionate and kind. He would spend hours on the phone connecting with family, friends, previous colleagues, and the widows that he watched over in his neighborhood. He connected with people he saw every day and knew the names and stories of the butcher, the cashiers, the waiters/waitresses, restaurant owners, medical professionals, etc. He loved to share stories and laugh, but he also took the time to listen to the stories of others and lend a sympathetic ear or a hardy laugh and joke depending on the topic.

John loved being a father and grandfather and was affectionately known as Grandpa Booger (long story). He enjoyed learning magic tricks to perform for the grandkids. He also enjoyed teaching them new games, as well as the classics such as Euchre and Cribbage. He would often send group texts to them which he affectionately called, “the Boogerlings” with brain teasers and jokes. At Christmas he loved giving puzzle boxes that had to be solved to be opened for the gift inside.

John had many interests and hobbies over the years. He loved being up north at the cottage on the lake that his grandfather built and had lifelong memories with family and friends. He enjoyed fishing, pheasant hunting and trap shooting until more recent years due to health issues. Over the years he enjoyed woodworking and making special projects for his grandchildren. He painted with watercolor and many have received Christmas cards of his original designs over the years. He was a fan of classic rock (Bob Seger, Eagles, Credence Clearwater, etc.) and all Detroit’s sports teams (Lions, Pistons, Tigers and Red Wings).

Survivors include partner Tara Stone; son Kurt Enkemann (Britt); daughter Janell Wilczynski (Jason); grandchildren Aubrey Enkemann, Kai Enkemann, Jordan Wilczynski, Jolene Wilczynski; brother Steven Enkemann; sister Sue (Enkemann) Hughes; sister Kathy (Enkemann) Brancato; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. John was preceded in death by his parents John Edward Enkemann and Doris (Kapp) Enkemann.

A celebration of life will be planned for a future date. Memorial contributions may be directed to:

The American Heart Association @ www.heart.org

St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital @ www.stjude.org

Lawrence Technological University @ www.ltu.edu