Grosse Pointe Woods gem Ahee Jewelers celebrates its diamond anniversary

GROSSE POINTE WOODS — Ahee Jewelers in Grosse Pointe Woods has been a go-to location for generations of local families in search of engagement rings and fine jewelry gifts, but the family-owned business has also been just as well known for its charitable work in the community.

So it seems fitting that the Ahee family would be giving back again while celebrating a milestone of its own — its 75th anniversary. More than 900 parking meters in Grosse Pointe Woods have decorative red bags over them now because the Ahee family is reimbursing the city for the lost parking revenue in order to allow Ahee Jewelers patrons, as well as patrons of other Woods businesses, to visit their favorite spots this November and December without having to worry about getting a parking ticket.

“This November marks 75 years of business, and we were exploring different ways to both give back to, and celebrate with the community,” said Vice President Andre Ahee in a press release. “Grosse Pointe Woods has been our home and a large part of our success. This is a way to say thank you for the support for all these years.”  

Based on a three-year average of parking meter revenue during November and December, Woods City Administrator Frank Schulte said it equated to about $13,700 per month, or a total of $27,400 for the two months. That’s the amount the Ahee family is reimbursing the city.

“They are certainly one of our premier commercial establishments,” Woods Mayor Arthur Bryant said. “The family has been tremendously involved in the city and the whole metro Detroit community. It’s just wonderful to have a chance to celebrate with them.”

Bryant said a handful of meters in the city weren’t getting bagged because the businesses want to make sure those parking spots turn over quickly, given that their customers are usually picking up takeout food orders.

Although the free parking only started Nov. 1, positive feedback is already rolling in.

“Already, I hear wonderful remarks from people who are really enjoying this,” Bryant said.

Now in its third generation, Ahee Jewelers was founded by Edmund T. “Ed” and Bettejean Ahee, who got married on Nov. 23, 1947. The business also got its start in 1947, when it opened its first location in the back of a bowling alley owned by Ed Ahee’s uncle that was located in the area of Harper and Warren avenues on Detroit’s east side. At that time, the store also carried other items, including cameras, typewriters, luggage, baby gifts, appliances, vacuum cleaners, power tools and sewing machines. Four years later, they moved to their own storefront within the same block.

In 1968, the Ahees moved to their current location at the corner of Mack Avenue and Oxford Road. The building had formerly been home to a DeSoto car dealership.

Bettejean and Ed Ahee’s seven children — Lowell, Pamela, Edmund Jr. (who died in 2005), Peter, Greg, Chris and John (who died in 2020) — all went into the family business, and now some of the grandchildren have followed in their footsteps. Among them is Ahee Jewelers Vice President Stefan Ahee, 33, of Grosse Pointe Woods, whose father was Edmund Ahee Jr. Stefan Ahee recalls working for the store part-time when he was a student, and he’s been working there full-time for the last nine years.

“My grandfather always wanted to be in a business that made people happy,” Stefan Ahee said. “You’re buying fine jewelry to mark a special occasion.”

He pointed out that these types of jewelry items are often passed down from one generation to the next, becoming cherished family heirlooms.

“High-quality fine jewelry is meant to last a lifetime,” Stefan Ahee said.

He said they’ve served multiple generations of the same families.

“Many times, we’ll work with people who’ve shopped with us for three generations,” Stefan Ahee said. “It’s a really nice tradition.”

The large, tight-knit family not only works together — they also play together. Stefan Ahee said they take an annual family vacation that usually consists of about 70 people, and they’ve gone to places like Mackinac Island and, for his grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary in 1997, Walt Disney World in Florida.

“We see each other a lot, which is nice,” Stefan Ahee said.

The Ahees have supported a number of nonprofits and community efforts over the years, including the Grosse Pointe Chamber of Commerce, which gave the family its highest honor when it recognized them at its annual Legacy on the Lake gala in 2017.

“They contribute all the time to everything,” Grosse Pointe Farms businessman Tony Soave said in 2017. “Every time I go to something, they’ve contributed to it.”

Bettejean Ahee, who died in 2020, said the family felt compelled to help others.

“It was my husband’s philosophy,” Bettejean Ahee said in 2017 of the family’s philanthropic streak. “He felt strongly about giving back. It’s more important to give than to receive.”

Ed T. Ahee Sr. died in 1999. Born in 1921, he grew up in Detroit during the Great Depression and remembered seeing people in line waiting for food at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen when he was a child. He knew hard times, as well, having had to work to support his mother and siblings when his father died when he was only 13. In 1981, he and the family launched the annual Capuchin Souper Celebration to raise money for the nonprofit, a tradition that continues to this day, now under the name “Capuchin Souper Summer Celebration.” The 41st annual Capuchin Souper Summer Celebration took place at Comerica Park. It has raised over $7 million since its inception.

“Our grandfather grew up near the soup kitchen,” Stefan Ahee said. “He saw how much good they did. He made a promise to help out if he could.”

In September, Lisa Fuller, chair of the nonprofit Grosse Pointe Woods Foundation, said the Ahee family has been “very generous” to the foundation and city. Perhaps most notably, the Ahees gave a substantial gift for the Foundation’s first project, a clock tower in front of City Hall.

The Ahees have been chosen for some prestigious projects, as well. When Pope John Paul II visited metro Detroit in 1987, Cardinal Edmund Szoka asked the Ahees to create his vestment jewelry, for which they crafted three pallium pins representing the three nails of Christ. In 2016, the Ahees made a custom broach for Serbian Crown Prince Alexander and his wife, Princess Katherine, when the royal couple came to Detroit on a medical mission to fight hearing loss in their country. In 2012, the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences gave the business its 5 Star Diamond Award, based on the store’s reputation, service and knowledgeable sales personnel, making Ahee Jewelers the first retailer in the world to receive this prestigious distinction.

In conjunction with the 75th anniversary, Ahee Jewelers is hosting several special events, including a holiday trunk show from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 11; an in-store broadcast starting at 6 a.m. Dec. 2 with WJR-AM host Paul W. Smith, who’ll have a meet and greet with customers; and a visit from Santa from noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 3, during which Santa will be handing out treats to youngsters. In addition, the store plans to feature live jazz music from the 1940s on select Fridays and Saturdays in November and December, to mark the era when the store got its start.

“We’re very lucky to have lasted three generations,” Stefan Ahee said. “The hope is to continue for generations to come.”