ALPINE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — In their parents' living room, three siblings— Roy Modzeleski, Cindy Hammond, and Linda Munroe— shared memories of their late mom, dad, and younger brother, killed by carbon monoxide poisoning this month.
"One's bad, but to have all of them go at once, it's unbearable," said Roy, the oldest.
On Friday, December 22, Bob, Barb, and Tim Modzeleski were found dead in their Alpine Township home, following a carbon monoxide leak that sprung from a boiler.
They were 86, 81, and 61, respectively.
"It could have all been prevented," Linda said. "That's the thing that hurts the most."
Weeks before their passing, Roy asked his dad about installing a carbon monoxide detector. He said they didn't need one.
"I said okay and I left," Roy said, noting that his parents' boiler had not been checked in years. "I shouldn't have.”
The Modzeleskis lived with their son, Tim, because of his developmental disabilities, brought on by a childhood car crash that put him in a coma for three months.
“He had a tough life," Cindy said about her younger brother, who loved to collect CDs and walk around with a video camera.
During the Christmas season, the three typically winter in Florida, but their trip was delayed as Tim needed time to recover from a recent open-heart surgery.
"It didn't occur to me to make sure mom and dad had [a CO detector]," Linda said.
With the loss of half their family still heavy on their hearts, the remaining siblings want to spread awareness about the importance of carbon monoxide detectors and routine inspections of household heating systems.
“We want everybody to be aware," Linda said. "Get them. Save people's lives.
To schedule a free smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector installation, email safe@fox17online.com or call 844-978-4400. Please include the following:
- Your full name
- County of residence
- Do you own and occupy your home?
- Do you have alarms in your home?
- Complete address (including zip code)
- Phone number
- Email address
If you'd like to donate to the Modzeleski family as their children pay for funeral expenses, a GoFundMecampaign has been set up in their memory.
