Carl Tacke

Carl Ewald Tacke, 92, was called to rest with Christ and died peacefully on February 26, 2026.

Born on April 24,1933, in Big Bend, Wisconsin. Carl was the son of Reverend Ewald and Florence (Hermann) Tacke. He was a graduate of Northwestern College Preparatory High School in Watertown, Wisconsin where his father was an instructor. Carl was a graduate of Art Center College of Design in California. Afterwards, he worked for a brief period in Chicago. For the majority of his career, he worked at Pontiac Motor Division - Design Staff at General Motors Tech Center in Warren, Michigan. Carl was an avid gardener and loved to work on various home improvement projects in his meticulously designed workshop. He was known for his storytelling and would often recount memories of growing up in rural Wisconsin during the WWII era as well his years of working with GM Design Staff. His positive demeanor, genuine kindness, and sense of humor endeared and touched all.

Carl did enjoy some travel. In the 1970s and 1980s he loved taking road trips with his family to tent-camp across the USA. Interested in WWII, Carl traveled to Europe in 1996 and saw the D-Day beaches in Normandy, as well as other WWII sites in Belgium, Germany and Italy. After retiring from GM, he enjoyed traveling with his wife, especially to the National Parks. From 2000 to 2022, he and his wife Ellie lived in the Traverse City area; together, they enjoyed hosting friends and family on Green Lake. He was active in various home improvement projects as well as his continual interest in gardening. In his later years, he returned to the Detroit area. He was an ever-loving husband and caretaker to his dear wife, Ellie.

He is survived by his loving family: daughter Lisa (Mark) Tacke-Pucylowski; son Paul (Susan) Tacke; and grandchildren, Olivia Pucylowski and Trent Tacke. He was preceded in death by his wife Eleanor (Ellie) Tacke (Atherton), his sister, Ruth (Arnold) Doreau, and brother, Harold Tacke.

A Memorial Visitation will be held in Carl's honor on Wednesday, March 25, from 3:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Wysocki & Wilk Funeral Home, 29440 Ryan Rd, Warren, Michigan.

The Memorial Service for Carl will be held on Thursday, March 26 at 10:00 a.m., Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 30003 Ryan Rd, Warren, Michigan.

Memorial contributions can be made in his name to the American Cancer Society, the Nature Conversancy, Holy Cross Lutheran Church (Warren, MI) or St Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church (Grosse Pointe Farms, MI).

Please share a memory, thought, or prayer with Carl's family here on his online guestbook.