Phillip "Rick" Stenberg

Fun-loving and quirky, Rick Stenberg was a real character. He loved to tell stories, and was always interested in what people had to say. Whenever he and his wife, Jill, went out to eat, he would spend half the time talking to people at other tables, and he once spent 20 minutes talking on the phone to a wrong number call! Ricks genuine concern for others touched countless hearts, and his passing leaves a hole in the community that will be difficult to fill. His friendly smile, infectious laughter, and kind heart will live on in the memories of all those who knew him; he was deeply loved, and will be deeply missed. The 1950s were a decade of transition in the United States, a time when the nation both recovered from World War II and became increasingly involved in the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Phillip Richard Rick Stenberg Jr. was born towards the end of this decade, on November 17, 1958, and shared his birth year with the formation of NASA, the invention of the microchip, and the first sales of the Hula Hoop. Ricks proud parents, Phillip Sr. and Betty Lou (Mahn) Stenberg, lived in Muskegon, Michigan. Rick was their first child, but he was soon joined by younger siblings Rodney and Vicky. The Stenberg kids grew up in the east side of Muskegon, where Rick would attend Orchard View schools. Rick was an athletic youngster, playing both baseball and peewee football. He enjoyed hunting with his father, and made many happy memories on family camping trips to northern Michigan. When Rick was in middle school, he joined the wrestling team, and developed a passion for the sport that would last his entire life. He graduated from Orchard View High School in 1978, and found work at several different shops around town. In order to supplement his income, Rick also started performing as a male dancer for bachelorette and birthday parties under the stage name Slick Rick. He turned out to have a knack for it, and for the next twelve years was one of the areas most popular male dancers. In the early 1990s, Rick started dating the woman who would be the love of his life: Jill Storck. They had known each other from around town, and Jill had even hired Rick to dance at a few functions! Rick and Jill fell in love, and the happy couple was married on December 12, 1992. In 1988, Rick had started his own business, Great Lakes Sewer & Drain, and it didnt take Jill long to convince Rick it was time to retire from dancing and concentrate on his business. He was a hard worker, and through his efforts the business grew steadily over the years. The business wasnt the only thing growing in Ricks life his family was growing, too, with the births of his sons, Cody and Tyler. Rick built a house for his family on McMillan Road, where they would live for the rest of his life. He loved spending time with his sons, and passed on his love of wrestling to them. When the boys were only five years old, Rick got them started in wrestling. They would go on to wrestle at various clubs around the state, and eventually wrestled at the high school and college level. Rick loved coaching his sons, and never tired of watching them compete. In fact, nearly every family vacation involved a wrestling meet or tournament! In his free time, Rick enjoyed hunting with his buddies, and belonged to both Ducks Unlimited and the Muskegon Eagles. He was quite lucky, and always seemed to come home from Ducks Unlimited with some kind of prize. He also liked his big boy toys, such as his quad runner and boat. On one memorable day, Jill sent Rick to a yard sale to buy a table saw, and he came home with a Corvette! Three years ago, Rick bought a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and he and Jill both enjoyed going for rides. Sadly, in September of this year Rick was diagnosed with cancer. He fought as best he could, but the disease was already at an advanced stage when it was discovered, and spread rapidly. Rick used the time he had left to put his affairs in order, and to provide for his family. He began the process of bringing his sons into the business, and was proud that they would carry on the business that he had worked hard to grow. Fun and outgoing, talkative and hard working, Rick was a devoted husband, a loving father, and a loyal friend. He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by his many friends and family members. Mr. Phillip Richard Rick Stenberg, Jr., died November 30, 2013, at the age of 55, surrounded by his family. Ricks family includes his wife, Jill; his sons, Cody and Tyler; his brother, Rodney (Robin); his sister, Vicky (Tom) Finkler; his parents, Phil and Betty Stenberg; grandmother, Velma Mahn; his in-laws, Donald and Alice Storck; his brother-in-law, Randy (Corina) Storck; his sister-in-law, Roxy (Matt) VanderSys; and many nieces and nephews. Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, December 6, at Clock Chapel, with Rev. Ben Jansen officiating. Friends are invited to join the family for visitation from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday at Clock Funeral Home. For those who wish, memorials may be directed to the family. Please visit www.clockfuneralhome.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.