Dominic S. Moceri, the family patriarch and founding partner of Moceri Cos. in Auburn Hills, died Wednesday at his Florida home. He was 86, and, as a builder, left a legacy of tens of thousands of homes since the 1950s across southeastern Michigan. "Some people build houses, we hope to build homes," said one of Moceri's six sons, Dominic J. Moceri. "That was my father's mantra. We create homes for families to grow, and we evolved with families' needs."

A native Detroiter, Dominic S. Moceri and his father, Sebastian Moceri, began building suburban neighborhoods after World War II. They realized more automobiles and new highways meant people would travel longer distances to get to work and live farther away. The Moceris bought land north of 8 Mile from farmers — and went to work.