Burrell Daniel Stein

Burrell Daniel Stein, age 91, passed away peacefully at his home in Wayland, Michigan, on August 17, surrounded by family. He was preceded in death in 2017 by his beloved wife and best friend since 1955, Phyllis (Weber) Stein.

Burrell is survived by his children Margie (Trudy Vandell) Stein, Laura (Jerry) Boerema, John (LuAnn) Stein, Lynn Stein, Susie (John) Weick, Joe (Kim) Stein, Luke (Amy Meengs) Stein, Jackie (Pat) Chandler, and Emily Stein; 14 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren. Also surviving Burrell are his sisters: Sister Marjorie Stein O.P., Bernadette Antecki, Rosemary (Cal) Wolters; brother, Ken (Margaret) Schwartz; brother-in-law, Dennis Weber; and sister-in-law, Barb Roys.

Burrell was a very proud father, yet he always credited Phyllis for any kindness or accomplishments of their children; he would tell people that Phyllis raised nine children and one husband. When it came to his and Phyllis’s large household, Burrell liked to say that he never noticed if there was an extra kid at the table, but he always knew when one of them was missing.

In 1955, the same year as his marriage to Phyllis, Burrell was drafted into the U.S. Army and served a tour in Germany until 1957. Burrell started his own business, Wayland Carpet and Linoleum, in 1969. He sold the business in 1987 and was then recruited by the United Bank in Wayland to serve as the branch manager, and later vice president of United Insurance. After retiring, he went to work for Kubiak-Cook Funeral Home. It came as no surprise to anyone that he was hired there — he was a well-respected member of the community, known for his compassion (plus several family members were already working there, so that improved his employment chances).

Over the years, he was always very active in the community, including serving on the Hopkins school board. He was involved in the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) education program at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in New Salem and was a mentor and father figure to two young brothers through the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America program. Some wonder if Phyllis didn’t sign him up for many of his extra-curricular activities so she could have a moment’s peace with just the nine kids in the house.

In 1969, Burrell joined the Wayland Chamber of Commerce and was an active member until his passing. As a chamber member, he was instrumental in developing Wayland’s Annual Christmas Parade and the Wayland Summer Fest. After moving to “Beautiful Wayland, Michigan” (as he lovingly referred to his city) in 1984, he was key in implementing upgrades to the city, including a campaign to overhaul and beautify the city park. He was also very active in supporting Wayland Schools. He approached the school board and advocated for a Fine Arts Center; he also was an initiator of the Wayland Union Schools Foundation. In 2003, he was chosen as Wayland’s Citizen of the Year and was regarded as “Mr. Wayland” by the Grand Rapids Press. Burrell served as the mayor of Wayland from 2004-2008. He once reported that if he ever ran for office again, even if he were the only candidate on the ballot, the voters would probably demand a recount if he won. One of Burrell’s proudest moments was when he and Phyllis were chosen by the Wayland Chamber of Commerce to be the grand marshals of the Wayland Christmas Parade in 2017, and nearly all of their kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids braved the cold to show up to cheer them on.

Burrell’s motto was “Life is good,” and he never stopped living life to the fullest. It wouldn’t take much to make Burrell laugh; he was essentially a cheap date and easily amused by people. The misdeeds of his kids usually brought out a good laugh too, occasionally preceded by a moment of exasperation. Most of the kids at some point or another banged up the family car, or let the goat into the house, or didn’t keep the dog from getting into the container of homemade ice cream (“Don’t you dare tell Grandma before we serve this to her!”), or innocently relaying an inappropriate story (blame the older classmates) at the dinner table. Burrell was no angel as a young teenager either; in early high school, he had to go home and tell his mom that St. Joseph’s Seminary had uninvited him to return to their school the following year. As he recounted the event, “I told Ma and ran like hell.”

Burrell and Phyllis’s happy place was the forty-acre wooded lot they purchased with their son John in 1981. Lovingly known as Stein’s Last Resort, it was the scene of much carousing and merriment over the decades. However, some restrictions had to be imposed, such as denying the building permit for Ron Bockheim’s two-story outhouse. Burrell was an avid bowhunter, mostly for the peace and quiet of sitting in the woods away from all of his kids. But to Burrell’s delight, when they were old enough, some of his kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids also took up hunting. Often there would be four generations of Steins hunting together on the property. One of his sons estimates that in three deer hunting seasons between the ages of 88 and 90, Burrell harvested 11 deer. Most of his children were already retired by then, so they appreciated their dad keeping them fed.

Like all good men, Burrell tried to pass along any worthwhile wisdom he may have accrued during his many years, such as how to tell a good beer from a bad beer. He would always offer his guests a beverage, such as a beer, or a Bud Light for those who don’t like beer.

Burrell worked hard to live up to his initials, B.S. Being able to claim his birthright to B.S. nearly didn’t come to pass as there was a mix-up on his birth certificate, which incorrectly recorded his name as Daniel Burrell Stein. The mistake was righted, and the rest is history.

A special thank you from the family to Burrell’s care team at Emmanuel Hospice. And, of course, a shout-out to Steven, who couldn’t be here with us.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, August 29, 2026, at St. Therese Catholic Church, 128 Cedar St., Wayland. In lieu of a visitation, there will be a community celebration of Burrell’s life following the Mass, from noon to 3 p.m. at the Wayland Union Fine Arts Center Grand Hall, 870 E. Superior St., Wayland.

Rather than flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation to the Wayland Union Education Foundation, the Wayland Union Robotics Team, or Emmanuel Hospice.

Finally, as Burrell would say, “Cheers!”

The family welcomes memories and messages of Burrell at www.kubiakcookwayland.com in their online guestbook.