The family of Mike Ilitch will hold a public visitation for the late Tigers and Red Wings owner on Wednesday from noon to 8 p.m. ET at the Fox Theatre's Grand Lobby, and there will be memorial opportunities at the various sporting venues where fans enjoyed watching his teams compete.
Ilitch, who passed away Friday at age 87, will lie in repose at the visitation at the Fox Theatre, the venue Mike and Marian Ilitch restored and established as Little Caesars world headquarters in 1989. Members of the community and public are invited to pay their respects. Free parking will be available at the theater and the surface lots in front of Comerica Park.
:: Mike Ilitch: 1929-2017 ::
In addition, a public memorial display will be set up by the big Tiger outside of Comerica Park beginning Monday at 1 p.m. Public and community members are invited to share memories or write messages of condolence, which will be shared with the family.
Additional memorial opportunities and events are being planned at Joe Louis Arena, the Little Caesars Arena site, and at the Tigers' Spring Training complex in Lakeland, Fla.
The family will hold a small, private memorial service in the coming days.
"To everyone who has so graciously remembered Mike Ilitch, we extend a heartfelt thank you," the family said in a statement. "The volume of condolences and kind wishes overwhelms us, and we appreciate it more than words can express. We know that he would've been touched by the outpouring of support, especially from this community that he so loved. We will miss him tremendously, and we are grateful, humbled and comforted to know that his lifetime was filled with well-lived moments."
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Ilitch Charities, the Detroit Tigers Foundation, or the Detroit Red Wings Foundation.