Owner of Shelving, Inc. in Auburn Hills wants to keep wife's passion for art alive

When Jack Schodowski (pictured above with Avondale High School Principal Sharon Hyde and Avondale Art teacher Leigh Wright) speaks of his wife Helen, who passed away in 2013, he tells of her passion for dance and theater and the arts. “She loved to do things to express her creativity. She danced and she acted and she painted.” Schodowski wants to honor his wife and keep her passion for art alive with a scholarship fund that he has established through Avondale School District. “I saw an article in the newspaper about your Art department a while ago,” he explained. ”I decided that supporting an Art student who wants to continue studying Art after high school was a good way to remember Helen.”

Schodowski plans to donate $1000 each year to a scholarship fund to be shared by three Avondale seniors. ”This is an incredibly generous and thoughtful gift,” said Avondale Art teacher Leigh Wright. ”What a wonderful way to celebrate Mrs. Schodowski and continue her memory.”

Jack and Helen Schodowksi have a long history in the Avondale School District community. Their company, Shelving, Inc. opened its doors more than 55 years ago and is located near the Auburn Hills downtown area. Avondale School District, which serves students from Auburn Hills, Rochester Hills, Troy and Bloomfield Township, has three school buildings in the Auburn Hills city limits. “We always felt connected to the District because of where our company is located. Now our grandchildren go to school here so I feel even more connected,” said Schodowski.

Though Mrs. Schodowski painted strictly in oils, the scholarship fund will not be limited to only Art students who are gifted painters. “We want to honor a life lived with passion so the scholarship fund will be shared by the students who demonstrate that they share Helen’s love of creative expression regardless of their chosen media,” said Wright. The scholarship winners will be selected by members of the Avondale Art Department and announced during the high school’s annual Senior art Exhibit featuring the work of Advanced Placement students.