Steven Dalman

Steven Dalman had learned early on in life that material possessions matter little and that family comes first. He was a proud, hardworking man, who cared deeply for his family and showed it by providing faithfully for them and sharing much love and laughter. Steve always held himself up to a high standard, and because of his zestful pursuance of life, he reaped the rewards of a loving family and great friends.

The 1950s marked a quieter, more stable time in American history, especially after the turbulent 1940s. It was a good time to grow up in America, and because of the Baby Boom, the schools and neighborhoods were bursting at the seams with children. Steven Dalman was among those children. Born in Vicksburg, Michigan on July 19, 1950, Steve was one of six children with two brothers, Don and Richard, and three sisters, Bonnie, Lynn and Judy. He spent all but 2 years of his childhood in the calm farmlands of Michigan. The Dalmans owned a farm that had been in the family for 4 generations, and this close-knit family lived next to each other within a 2 square mile area on their land. Steve was proud to follow in his father and grandfather’s footsteps of being a farmer. He grew up with a great appreciation of hard work by pitching in with the daily farm chores associated with raising cows, corn, beans, wheat and hay. For fun, Steve and his siblings took turns riding the one bike they shared between them.

Steve received his education in the area schools, and graduated with the class of 1968 at Vicksburg High. He then tried to persuade his dad to expand the farm, which didn’t happen, so Steve decided to take a job at the Kalamazoo Stamp & Die, which later became Tower Automotive. Steve was in charge of Quality Control and Engineering for 29 years here until it closed, and during this time he worked second shift so that he could still work on the family farm. Whatever task was at hand, Steve always did his best and made sure every job was done thoroughly. It was important to him to keep up on advances in agriculture and engineering, and know what was current in the automotive world too. Sharp-minded, Steve took great pride in being frugal, and nothing made him happier than haggling out a good deal on something. He even learned to make his own farm equipment, putting even more money in his pocket. Much like his dad, Steve wasn’t very receptive to change, especially when it meant learning a new way of doing something that he has known how to do for many years - no matter that the new way was simpler or more effective.

Although Steve made his career out of farming and engineering, it was apparent that his most important job in life was being a devoted husband and father. Steve met his beloved wife, Stelija Agusteli, at the bowling alley, where he bowled on his work league and she worked as a waitress. To get her attention, Steve would stand in the waitress station, but this unfortunately only got him kicked out of the bowling alley. Next time he returned there was during a bad snowstorm and he offered to drive her home – a 20-minute drive turned into 4 hours because of the weather. As fate would have it, Steve and Stelija fell in love and were happily married in 1977. They spent the next 33 years together, raising their 4 sons, Jim, Mike, Jeff and Austin, and sharing many wonderful memories as a family. Steve always maintained that the greatest days in his life were when his sons were born.

Steve was a wonderful father – gentle, yet with a firm hand. He wanted them to be independent and hardworking, always letting them try something on their own before offering help. Steve took an active role in his sons’ lives, whatever their endeavors may be. As a 4-H and FFA member, he enjoyed being able to help his boys when they began participating with these organizations. Steve also served as Poultry Superintendent in the Kalamazoo 4-H and was a sponsor and alumni member of the Vicksburg FFA. In his leisure time, Steve enjoyed hunting and riding his motorcycle. He was known to be a very routine kind of guy too and every Saturday started and ended the same – first a trip to Meijers, then Sam’s Club and Menard's before ending the day with a good meal at the Old Country Buffet.

Of all the great things in Steve’s life, time spent with his loved ones towered above all the rest. They were the people that he shared his life with, and the people that he loved. He will be greatly missed.

Steve Dalman, age 59 of Scotts, MI died suddenly at his home of a heart attack on Saturday, May 1, 2010. Learn more about Steve, visit with his family and friends and view his life story film on Tuesday, May 4, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at the Life Story Funeral Home, 409 S. Main Street, Vicksburg (649-1697), where services will be held on Wednesday, May 5, at 2 p.m.

Members of Steve’s family include his wife, the former Stelija Agusteli, sons: Jim Dalman and his partner, Zack Schaeffer, Mike Dalman and his girlfriend, Jenny Akins, Jeff Dalman and Austin Dalman; siblings: Don Dalman, Richard “Hub” Dalman, Bonnie (David) Gorham, Lynn (Tom) Compos, Judy Reynolds; and several nieces and nephews. Please visit Steve’s memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory or photo with his family or sign his online guest book. Memorial contributions may be made to either Make-A-Wish Foundation or Juvenile Diabetes, in lieu of flowers.