Hackett Metcalf Funeral Home

The 10th annual Chili Cha Cha — now a tradition on the last Saturday of January at the church — brought together nearly 200 attendees for food, fun, music and dancing on Jan. 29 to benefit Capuchin Ministries and the Divine Child/Sacred Heart chapter of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.A diverse collection of chili recipes, along with salads and desserts, prepared by head Capuchin Executive Chef Alison Costello were slurped up quickly. In preparing food, Costello follows the mantra that a soup kitchen meal deserves as much dignity and care as restaurant fare.A team of 20 volunteers also donated their time to make sure the event ran smoothly.Sacred Heart parish has hosted the event since 2008 and typically raises anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 for the charities, which provided vital assistance to the area’s less fortunate.The Classics, a popular metro area ensemble, returned to entertain the guests with hits from the 1930s to ‘90s.Brother Jerry Smith, departing director of Capuchin Ministries, attended and spoke about the Capuchin mission goals and passed his baton of leadership to his young successor, Brother Jerry Johnson.Many local businesses donate their support to make sure the event is a success each year.Among those contributing to this year’s event were Alliance Catholic Credit Union; Century 21 Curran & Christie Realtors; Community Choice Credit Union; Dearborn Farm Market; Dearborn Music; Dearborn Sausage Co.; Hackett Metcalf Funeral Home; Hold Your Horsepower LLC.; Korte Collision; LaPita Restaurant; Leon’s Family Restaurant; Merchant’s Fine Wine; O’Sushi II Japanese Restaurant,;Save a Lot; Srodek’s Campau Quality Sausage, Co.; Steven Bernard Jewelers and Wolverine Packing Company.Additional donations were received from Holiday Grille; Park Place; Salon 360; Duke’s Hardware; Manno Tailoring; Fisher Flowers; Village Frame and Art Gallery and Elias Brother’s Big Boy. (Dearborn Press and Guide)

Jack" Demmer died Tuesday at his Dearborn home after a yearlong battle with cancer. He was 93.His Jack Demmer Automotive Group, which includes a Ford dealership in Wayne and a Lincoln dealership and a collision shop in Dearborn, is on its third generation of family ownership and operation. The Ford dealership is now being headed by two of his sons, Bill and Jim, and the Lincoln dealership is being led by his granddaughter Jackie Demmer.Jackie Demmer said her grandfather was humble and lived a simple life for how successful he was. His infectious laugh, smile and personality contributed to his successes and legacy, she said.Despite the cancer, Jackie Demmer said her grandfather was fully involved in the business and he was in the shop just two weeks ago."If he couldn't make it in, he would always call and check in," she said. "But he had the best attitude about it and, up until a few weeks ago, if people asked him how he's doing, he would say 'great.' He was not ready."Demmer grew up helping his father sell cars from his home in Detroit in the 1930s before joining the U.S. Navy during World War II, according to the Jack Demmer Ford website. After the war, he returned home to sell cars and enrolled at Wayne State University.With a friend, Demmer opened an Edsel dealership with a one-car showroom in 1957 in Nankin Township before moving to its current location in Wayne in 1969. Demmer acquired the entire dealership in 1975, naming it Jack Demmer Ford.Demmer expanded his business into Jack Demmer Automotive Group in 1998, opening a Lincoln-Mercury dealership in Farmington. Soon after he bought the Lincoln-Mercury dealership in Dearborn, one of the largest in the country, relocated the Farmington dealership to a separate Dearborn location, and opened a collision shop.Demmer is survived by his wife of 68 years, Margaret; his children Patricia Groszko, Susan Hermann, Bill Demmer, Jim Demmer, Marianne Nelson and Jean Zick; 21 grandchildren, and 19 great-grandchildren.Arrangements are being handled by... (Crain's Detroit Business)