Grosse Pointe Park family shares in their appreciation for The War Memorial

For Renee Jakubowski, having her wedding reception at The War Memorial gave her a greater connection with the local nonprofit celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.

Renee and Matthew Jakubowski were married at the Grosse Pointe Academy Chapel on Oct. 20, 2001, weeks after the 9/11 terror attacks. Their reception followed at The War Memorial.

“I liked the space and I knew I wanted to live here once we got married,” Renee Jakubowski said in response to why she wanted to have their wedding reception at The War Memorial. “I think it is a great space on the water.”

Renee Jakubowski, whose maiden name is Ballard, met her husband when they were attending law school at Wayne State University. About 225 people attended the wedding reception, where filet and salmon were on the menu.

“The proximity to the wedding site, the location on the water and the history of the Alger House appealed to us,” she said. “It was fall and I got lucky that it was a warm day. It was nice and sunny, but I hadn’t thought of the fact that it gets dark around 6:30. I was thinking we would have the view of the water, but it was dark by then. My husband and I both went to Michigan, so we played the fight song every now and then.”

The Jakubowski’s, of Grosse Pointe Park, have three children – Zach, Matt and Avery. Over the years, the kids took part in theater activities when the Grosse Pointe Theatre called the Fries Auditorium their home.

“They did Youth on Stage. It was an exciting time for our kids being in the performances,” Renee Jakubowski said. “We also did Easter brunches at The War Memorial and Breakfast With Santa.”

The Jakubowski children also took driver training classes at The War Memorial.

Reflecting on how The War Memorial has enriched her life, Renee Jakubowski said she always wanted her sons to have a healthy appreciation of the sacrifice of veterans.

“We wanted to stay close to The War Memorial because of that,” she said.

Check back next month for more War Memorial memories from the community as we commemorate our 75th anniversary, sharing stories from the public about the impact and experiences they have had at The War Memorial.