Michigan man finds lasting opportunity in Cajun County

By Melissa Hargrave, Correspondent

Nearly 34 years ago, Richard Sysak relocated to Louisiana, from Michigan, on the prospect of finding career opportunities so he could provide for his family.
Richard Sysak is originally from Coleman located in central Michigan, about 150 miles north of Detroit. Coleman is a rural farming town with a population of around 1,200. Employment slowed down in the early 1980s, right around the time Richard and his wife, Donna, had their first child. In need of a job, Richard heard that Louisiana had a steady economy and was offered the opportunity to move down with a friend’s son in October of 1980.
He arrived in Lafayette first, and worked for Greyhound as a porter and ticket agent. Once he was settled in, Richard sent for Donna and their daughter. The Sysaks fell in love with Louisiana.
“The culture is addicting,” Richard admits, “In Michigan where I was raised, it was a small farm town about the size of Maurice, and it was nice. When I came down here, what I liked about the people was that they were outgoing. They would come up to us – complete strangers – and want to help! The people were real nice. A different culture, it was very interesting. I told my wife, ‘I guess we’re going to stay here for a while!’”
He also mentioned an added advantage over the North, “Plus, it stays warmer here longer, and it doesn’t really snow.” One aspect of Louisiana that Richard didn’t catch on to, is the cuisine. “I still eat like I did when I lived up in Michigan. I’m used to potatoes and gravy, and down here it’s rice and gravy!” he chuckles, “I never cared for rice a lot. When my wife and my children have rice, Donna takes that and makes me what my ma used to fix us when we were younger – rice pudding with raisins.”
The Sysaks moved around, in search of better job opportunities, and lived in Milton for a short time before finally locating to Abbeville in 1982, around the same time the McDonald’s was being built. He worked odd jobs, including cleaning the printing press at the Abbeville Meridional, and he even owned a mechanic shop on the corner of Hawthorne and Clover for a couple of years.
An Abbeville councilman, whose car Richard repaired, informed him of a job opening with the city. He applied, was hired, and began working in February of 1984 as a mechanic.
“At that time, my wife and I had two kids. After getting the job with the city, things really picked up for us from there,” Richard recalls.
After more than three decades, Sysak has worked his way up from his initial role as a mechanic.
In ’92, he became the equipment operator and ran the city’s sweeper. Today, he is the foreman of the construction crew and oversees the daily maintenance which helps keep Abbeville running smoothly, such as clearing drains and fixing potholes. Thanks to his career, the Sysaks were eventually able to save up enough money to purchase a house. Richard will celebrate 32 years of employment with the City of Abbeville this coming February, and he plans to continue working as long as his health allows.
Richard says a lot has changed in Abbeville over the years.
“It’s not the same quiet town that I decided to make my home. When I first moved here, we used to be able to leave our house unlocked, but we can’t do that now. Maybe one day they will stop the crime here.”
Even so, the Sysaks are content with life in Louisiana. They have returned to Michigan for visits over the years, and will be doing so again later this month to attend a family reunion. However, no one in the family plans to permanently leave the state they have come to affectionately call home.
Richard and his wife Donna have three children and two grandchildren. Sunday, September 20th marked their 31st year of marriage. In fact, Donna would like to wish her husband a very happy anniversary!