Stephen Jay Van Buren

Steve was married for 74 years to Audrey Jean Todd. They both graduated from Detroit’s Cooley High School where Steve lettered on the football team and was a budding artist. In 1954 Steve joined the first cadet class offered by the Detroit Police Force and spent his career in the Corktown neighborhood, including beats at both the old Tiger Stadium and the Olympia. He retired in 1981 and continued working for an additional 10 years as a Harper Grace security officer where he was asked to paint murals for the staff to enjoy. Stephen and Audrey then retired to Florida golf course life that they shared for 30 years with friends and family.

They were also summer residents of Indian River Michigan, where Steve and Audrey built a lovely home on Mullett Lake, continuing the tradition his parent’s started in 1940 and where Steve spent his childhood summers accumulating a total of 85 summers at “the lake”.

Anyone who knew Steve appreciated his love of their cottage and sunsets, fishing, reading, travel, listening to Jazz and Dixieland music, the Tigers and Red Wings, conversations about history and his beloved hunting dogs. Steve received his 50 year Mason membership pin in 2015. A member of the Moslem Temple, Detroit, and a past master of Oriental Lodge, he also was an active participant in the clubs and philanthropies of the Shriner Bahia Temple, Orlando Florida. They enjoyed many trips with their Shriner friends to far-away lands including Tahiti, Australia, Hawaii and Europe.

Stephen is preceded in death by his parents Earl and Josephine (Wiard) Van Buren, his brother Richard, and his niece Gina.. He is survived by his wife Audrey, his children Cheryl ( Bill) , Michael ( Kim), and Diane ( Ernie), His grandchildren, Matthew ( Liza) , Kate (Paul), John, Megan ( Anthony) , and Josie (Tom). Steve was the proud great grandfather of 11 great grandchildren: Connor and Nora, (Kate), Brady and Duke, (John), Mason and Dylann, (Matt), Jacob and Bennett, (Josie), and Max, Phineas, and Audrey, (Megan). Also Steve’s nieces Lisa and Martha. All will cherish their memories of Grandpa and Grandma Van and the love he shared with them at their summer home at Mullet Lake.

The Van Buren family extend our thanks to Cassandra and Ted Pitu of River Glenn Home Care for their dedicated care of our father.

A celebration of life will be held 2-5 pm, Saturday, June 7th at the the Corewell Town Commons, 21350 Archwood Circle, Farmington Hills, Michigan. Donations in memory of Stephen may be made to the Wayne State University Van Buren Scholarship Fund or to the Shriners Hospitals for Children.