BHS welcomes four more Distinguished Graduates

On Friday, April 26, Belleville High School welcomed four more Distinguished Graduates during ceremonies at the high school auditorium. They were led into the auditorium by a bagpiper and their pictures will hang with the other Distinguished Graduates, chosen since 1998, in the hallway of BHS.
Gerald W. Lukomski
Class of 1954
Gerald Lukomski was born on a farm in Sumpter Township on Sept. 23, 1936. He attended Sumpter Township Schools through eighth grade and enrolled in Belleville High School in 1950. After graduation in 1954, he was employed at Industrial Wirecloth Company in Wayne and in 1975 enrolled in night classes at the Detroit Institute of Technology (DIT), majoring in mechanical engineering. During the next ten years, Lukomski worked at the Fisher Body Division of General Motors and continued to attend night school. He graduated in 1967 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. During that period of time, he got married, had three children, and was in the Michigan National Guard.
In 1967, Lukomski left General Motors to pursue a career in sales and worked for several companies prior to joining Motorola in 1971, working as a sales engineer in the Detroit office. In 1972, he was promoted to Sales Manager and transferred to Motorola’s World Headquarters in Chicago, IL. Lukomski worked in several different management positions, culminating in a promotion to Vice President of Manufacturing for Automotive and Industrial Electronics Group (AIEG) in 1987. His next assignment was Vice President and Director of the European Region for AIEG from 1989 to 1992, residing in England, UK.
Lukomski returned to the U.S. to become president of Motorola Lighting, a wholly owned subsidiary of Motorola, and served in that capacity until 1995. He returned to Europe as Corporate Vice President of Europe, Middle East and Africa. During that assignment, he served on the U.S.-Egypt President’s business council, and represented Motorola on the U.S.-Saudi Arabia business council. Lukomski repatriated back to the U.S. in 1999 and served as Corporate Vice President of Motorola University until his retirement in 2001. He traveled to 58 countries while working for Motorola.
Lukomski volunteered on the St. Edith Board of Education in Livonia, MI; on the St. James Board of Education in Arlington Heights, IL; as coach for boys’ Little League baseball and girls’ softball; and as a Boy Scout Webelos leader.
He has been a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers for 50 years.
He has been married to Camille for 55 years, together raising four children: a son and three daughters. They are proud grandparents to nine grandchildren.
Gertrude Evanski Roddick
Class of 1969
Being Class Historian for the BHS Class of 1969 launched Trudy’s passion for history. While at BHS, Trudy was in many clubs, but was most proud to be a member of the National Honor Society. She was the recipient of the Belleville Professional Women’s Club Scholarship Program. Trudy applied that scholarship to Cleary College and graduated with honors with a degree in Business Administration.
Trudy moved in Washington, D.C. in 1976 and started her career at the White House, working for First Lady Betty Ford. She continued working in the Office of the First Lady for First Lady Rosalyn Carter, First Lady Nancy Reagan, and First Lady Barbara Bush. Trudy switched to the Office of Presidential Correspondence for President George Herbert Walker Bush, President Bill Clinton, President George W. Bush, President Barack Obama, and President Donald Trump. While working for Presidential Correspondence, Trudy was detailed to the Office of the Staff Secretary, the Office of Records Management, Oval Office Operations, and the Office of the Executive Clerk. Trudy said one of her favorite jobs at the White house was editing and proofreading documents such as Executive Orders, Proclamations, The State of the Union Address, and other legal documents that went to the Oval Office for Presidential signature. Her expertise on grammar earned her the nickname, “comma queen.”
For the past 16 years Trudy has sponsored a book club called “The Dragon Riders.” It is a book club for young adults who have difficulty reading. The disabilities of the members range from cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome, and muscular dystrophy. Trudy is especially proud of their passion for reading and zest for life.
Trudy is an adult leader and merit badge counselor with Boy Scout Troop 150. Her favorite merit badges are Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, and teaching the scouts how to cook during their camping trips.
Trudy also enjoyed coaching Special Olympic Basketball for the JEG Stuart High School team. Twice the team reached the State Level.
Following Sept. 11, 2001, Trudy became involved in the D.C. branch of Wounded Warriors. There are many ways to help our Wounded Warriors and all of our veterans. Always thank them for their service and remember the motto of Wounded Warriors — “The greatest casualty is being forgotten.”
Since her retirement from the White House, Trudy has been busy writing a book about Presidential Libraries. There is a Presidential Library 30 minutes from Belleville, she said.
She is married to architect Paul Roddick. They have three children: Elizabeth, Colin, and Ian. They also have two grandchildren, Kaylee and Benjamin — and one more on the way.
Charles Smelt
Class of 1979
Charles Smelt has distinguished himself as a graduate of BHS. Not only has he carried on his family’s expectations and legacy of higher learning, as his mother was a nurse and father was a former teacher at South Middle School and BHS, but he broke away to forge his own destiny in the field of business, attaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Employment Relations from Michigan State University and a Master’s Degree in Industrial Relations at Wayne State University.
Smelt put those degrees to work as he spent more than 24 years in quick-service and fast-casual restaurant segment categories. He served at Manager, Director, and Vice President position levels and Operations Management for Fortune 500 companies PepsiCo/Taco Bell and Yum! brands. Additional company brands include Burger King, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and Hot-N-Now.
For the last nine years, Smelt has utilized his work experience and expertise as a Management Consultant, Director of Business Development, and Director of Operations and Sales, becoming an equity partner in some ventures. At Flexsil-Lid, USA, a start-up business, he was responsible for the introduction, sales and marketing for an innovative foodservice product for the US. The product was featured on the Australian version of the television show “Shark Tank.”
While achieving success in the business world, Smelt also contributed his time and efforts for the MSU Spartan Fund, the United Way, Salvation Army, Boys and Girls Club of America, Wounded Warriors Project, and Camp Daggett.
Smelt organized and led a donation drive for the BHS Swim and Dive Team, raising $2,500 in 2015. Participants included swim and dive alumni, coaches, and family. He also organized a recognition event, attended by former student athletes and family. The event honored the positive influences of former coaches Sam Vicchy, Bill Snider, Frank Musser, and John Stosick. As a result of his nomination, Sam Vicchy (2016) and Frank Musser (2017) were also inducted into the Michigan High School Coaches Hall of Fame.
Smelt has been blessed with both marriage and parenthood. He has been happily married to his wife of 28 years, Lori. He is also blessed to be the father of two adult sons, Matthew and Ryan. Matthew is an MSU Economics graduate and works in logistics, while Ryan will also soon be a Spartan alumnus in 2020, with an Agriculture Business degree.
Keith Simons – Class of 1972
Special Posthumous Award
(April 26, 1954 – July 26, 2017)
Keith Michael Simons passed away on July 26, 2017 at the age of 63.
Keith was a selfless family man, empowerer of people and a world-class athlete. Keith dedicated his life helping people enrich theirs, even in his final days.
Born in Belleville, MI, Keith started honing his disciplinary skills working at his father’s garage. While attending BHS, he was a nationally recognized wrestler and football star — eventually earning a football scholarship to compete at the University of Minnesota. A four-year starter for the Golden Gophers, Keith was selected as team captain his senior year and was honored with an AP All-Big-Ten Team selection in 1975.
After NFL stints in St. Louis and Kansas City, Keith settled in St. Paul, MN, with his wife Yvonne, becoming the proud father of Danielle and Eric.
Through numerous jobs at Frito Lay, Pepsi, Blue Rhino, Twin Cities Rise, et al, one characteristic always rose above others — his ability to find the strengths of the people he worked with and get those individuals to realize strengths in themselves.
Keith had a personal credo, to “Create a Great Day,” and he worked his hardest to make that a reality every day he spent on this earth. His final breaths were taken surrounded by the love and support of 63 years of family and cherished friendships. He was grateful for the bonds he formed and proud of the work he had done — as a father, a husband, a brother, a son, a leader, and a friend.