Steven Douglas Rockwood

Steve was the latter. Following four years of dealing with cancer, Steve has passed away. His volunteer participation in cancer trials at The Karmanos Cancer Center and the information gleaned from those studies will allow Steve’s fight to continue long after he is gone. This battle is far from over! It has been the honor of my lifetime, along as well our sons (Andrew and Graham) and daughter in law (Wendy) to be a part of his hospice team.

Steve was the 5th generation Rockwood from Eaton Rapids, MI. His childhood adventures intertwined Little League, school, church, riding bikes, Scouts, Marching Band, dogs named Fritz and Fleck, trips to the dam and then came the “Rockwood-Stock” years. A road cruise into Lansing to see The Dave Clark Five, a little later to see James Brown, and then a visit to a local Teen Dance (Swing Lively) TV show. Steve, his cohorts, and their teenage exploits could easily define coming of age in the late 6o’s.

How lucky am I that out of 8 billion people on this planet Steve and I found each other? In the 70”s Steve graduated from college, leaving his lifelong brotherhood of friends, The TriB’s, to head for a job in Detroit.

His plan was to live-work in the city and then return home. SOME say it was the Detroit Tigers (He attended 47 Opening Day Games, including an interview with Jack Morris) OTHERS say it was the soul stirring ”Rock and Roll” hollering out from E. Warren and Outer Dr. that shook the house where and the other “Counts Of Courville” lived, BUT MANY tend to believe it was a girl from Detroit that waylaided his plans to return home. Eaton Rapids would always hold a special place in his heart, but as time pressed on Steve, Chris followed by Andy and Graham would carve out a pretty remarkable life in Detroit, Harper Wds. and later Ann Arbor.

His employment with the State Of Michigan would fill his days for the next 39 years. When asked what he “did” he’d say he helped people. He worked on projects as “Paint The Town”, Back to School Health Fairs, and summer lunch programs for families in underserved neighborhoods. He set up clothing banks and served as a liaison between Detroit Public Schools and the Dept. Of Human Resources.

Volunteering is what he did, a coach extraordinaire, like his dad before and now his son and daughter in law. Little League, floor hockey, parent clubs, soccer (with 5 year olds whose only measure of time was in increments of Pee Wee Herman shows) Scout Master, Band Booster President, well you see where I’m going here.. In his rare spare moments he loved nothing more than playing ball in Detroit with the “Jets”. Now, as time would have it the “Jets” were getting up there in age, and it was rumored they would consider it a “win” if EMS wasn’t called and no one fell when running the bases.

Our romance was one for the books. My Rock for over 40 years. Yes, I am a much better person for having known Steve, and I’m certain our planet is a much better place for him being here. My constant “Shelter from the Storm” You will be so missed. Once when struggling trying to right a situation, making no headway, it was a downward spiral, overwhelmed I asked Steve, “Why am I doing this?” he replied “Because it’s the right thing to do”. I’ve held that close to me for years, and now I pass it onto you, sometimes in life we are called upon to do simply “Because it’s the right thing to do”.

Steve is survived by Chris, his wife and companion for 43 years, his sons Andy (Wendy) and Graham, grandchildren Sydney and Benjamin, his sisters Lori (Bobby), Chris (Carl) and his nephews Miles (Kristen) and Patrick (Hannah).

We will have a service and celebration of Steve on April 16 at the First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor, details to follow.

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