Timothy M. Bancuk

According to Timothy Bancuk life was simple: fish, play poker, and never buy a Ford. Always one to speak his mind, Tim could be stubborn at times, but was also as fun-loving and kind as they come. He knew everything there was to know about fixing cars, in fact, he was even able to diagnose a car problem from afar and help fix it over the phone! Tim was a family man through and through who was ecstatic to become a grandfather to four wonderful grandchildren. There was never such a thing as working too hard in Tims book, but he knew how to have a good time, too. Tim will be deeply missed for his great stories and his sarcasm that was rooted in the name of fun, but most of all Tim will be missed for his kind and tender heart. The fifties were a time of great change in America as the Civil Rights Movement was gaining momentum while we welcomed Alaska and Hawaii as our 49th and 50th states and launched a satellite into space that successfully orbited the earth. It was within this exciting time that Marcell and Jean (Bigoness) Bancuk welcomed the birth of their son, Timothy, on September 11, 1955. Born in Muskegon, Michigan, Tim was the youngest of three children in his family including older siblings Michael and Patricia. He was raised with a strong Catholic foundation and his father worked at Shaw Box Crane/ Dresser Industries while his mother was a schoolteacher at Orchard View Schools. Tim was raised in the family home in Roosevelt Park and had a deep love for their collie, Prince. At a young age, Tim established lifelong friendships with Mark, Tom, Jim, and Chris, although his best friend was his grandfather, Bert. Tim attended St. Francis de Sales Catholic Elementary School and in 1964, he won first prize with his water distillery system at the science fair. Because of the close bond he shared with his grandfather, Tim was understandably devastated by Grandpa Berts death in 1967. As a high school student Tim attended Catholic Central High School in Muskegon where he ran track. He also worked at the Getty Street Drive-In to earn a little bit of spending money. After graduating from high school in 1974, Tim continued his education at Ferris State College as it was known at the time. It was as a college student that he met the young girl who would change the course of his life forever. Her name was Patti Wright and they met at the college and began dating. Tim graduated from Ferris State College in 1976 with a degree in auto mechanics. His parents surprised him with the ultimate graduation present a brand new 1977 Pontiac LeMans. Tim loved this car and kept it until the twenty first century. Ready for the next phase in life, Tim started his first job at Kmart Auto. After a few years he took a job at Sears. His job at Sears is where he met good friends Mike Martin and Kirk Temple. His personal life became exciting as well when he married Patti on June 7, 1980. Together Tim and Patti were blessed with four daughters: Shawn in 1981, Amanda in 1982, Sarah in 1986, and Becky in 1987. Their first home was at 716 Lyman in Muskegon, and Tim often took his girls camping and fishing on Nichols Lake. Work kept Tim busy, too, as he regularly put in long hours doing car repairs for his friends. He was also an avid race fan who was gone many weekends with his racing friends working on their cars. Tim traveled nearly everywhere with car owner Marty Buffum " Buff ". Although his marriage to Patti ended in divorce, he was forever grateful for the daughters who were such a vital part of his life. Life turned a different corner for Tim when met a certain co-worker named Beth Rodewald while he was working at Sears. After dating for a time, the couple married in 1992. They were blessed with two sons: Scott in 1993 and David in 1994. Their family did a lot of camping, quite often at both Muskegon and Ludington State Parks. Of course, Tims boat named Loose Screw always came with them. They took a fun-filled vacation to Cedar Point in 1998 where Tim rode their biggest coaster, the Magnum, with his daughters Sarah and Becky. Tim and Sarah both hated it as it scared the living daylights out of them both, but Tim rode it again, conquering his fear with a little liquid courage! Also that same year, Tim and Beth decided to go their separate ways. It was in January of 1999 that Tim was introduced to his soul mate, Michele Peleras at the West Side Inn. She brought her daughter Ashley and son Shane into Tims life with whom he became very close. Their family structure and dynamics mimicked life in the Brady family as they all intermingled and got along great. In so many ways, Michele was good for Tim, and their family created countless memories that have become priceless treasures. Some of their best times were spent on sledding trips to Duncan Woods in Grand Haven. When grandchildren Alexis and Austin both arrived in 2007, Tim couldnt have been more overwhelmed with joy. Although Timothy Bancuk was passionate about fishing, creating dinner masterpieces, and working on cars, his greatest love was reserved for his family. He could tell a story like no one else, and he was so much fun to be around, too. Tim loved to share his passions with others as he diagnosed his son-in-laws car over the phone on more than one occasion and taught several people to fish. He was an outdoor enthusiast who not only enjoyed fishing, but camping and gardening as well. Tim was a real mans man, yet was also known to be kind, loving, and fair. He loved life each new day and will be deeply missed by those who knew and loved him. Timothy M. Bancuk died Tuesday, June 8, 2010. Tims family includes his sons, Scott Bancuk, David Bancuk; daughters, Shawn (Neil) Pitts, Amanda Bancuk, Sarah Bancuk, Rebecca Bancuk; 4 grandchildren; brother, Michael Bancuk; sister, Patricia Belous and her son Juan Belous; his soul mate, Michele Peleras and her children, Ashley & Shane. Tim was preceeded in death by his parents. A service will be held on Friday, June 18, 2010, 11:00 a.m. at First Free Methodist Church with Rev. Carlos Ramos officiating. Visit with Tims family and friends on Friday, 1 hour prior to the service at First Free Methodist Church. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can leave a favorite memory or photo, sign the online guestbook, or make a memorial contribution to the family.