Founding CU Father Passes

DETROIT – Credit union activists were mourning last week’s passing of Ralph Bathanti, Sr., the founder of Motor City Co-Op CU, at the age of 98. Bathanti founded the now-$90 million credit union out of the living room in his Detroit home in 1946, finishing the first year with 175 members and $7,100 in assets. He served as its first treasurer/manager until his retirement in 1971 and was still serving on the credit union’s board of directors at the time of his death.

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