Stephen Keech, Jr.

Stephen Alan Keech, Jr., age 60, of Kalamazoo, MI passed away Monday, January 9, 2017 at his home in Kalamazoo. Visitation will be from 12-2 PM on Saturday, Jan. 14, at Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Westside Chapel, 3926 South 9th St, with a memorial service beginning at 2:00 PM. Private burial will be Monday in Lake View Cemetery, South Haven. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Loaves and Fishes or Kalamazoo Gospel Mission. He was born on Oct. 26, 1956 in Allegan to Robert Rex and Betty (Edwards) Keech. Siblings are Linda (Arizona), Julie, Cindy, and Dave. A graduate of Allegan High School, Steve married Karen Coffey in 1974 and had two wonderful children, Steve (Lori Carr) and Lisa. He married Susan Siferd June 26, 2013 and was stepfather to Yvonne (Amy DeRosier), Samuel, Andrea, and Robert (Lucy Wang) Siferd. He was proud grandfather of Tyler Ackerman, Jas Keech, and Kryn Grauman. Steve rode in the rodeo as a boy and wore snakeskin boots as a man. He was a builder, plumber, and mechanic and will be remembered for his humor and generosity, his inventive solutions to all problems mechanical, his amazing Halloween and Christmas displays, and ear-splitting 4th of July fireworks. He knew how to make an engine hum and turned out some sweet custom golf carts for Ellis Sales in Kalamazoo. He loved NASCAR (go, Tony, go Kevin!) and George Strait, Amish pie, and an ice cold Bud. With his beloved pup, Brandy, beside him, he gave golf cart rides to neighborhood kids and, on summer weekends, captained his 12-foot dinghy down the channel in South Haven. He hoped to vacation in Florida in February and catch lobster in Maine next summer, but when his five-year battle with cancer ended, so did those dreams. He took part in three different clinical trials at Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit; his doctor and nurses cried at his passing. His family is grateful that he is beyond pain and disability. We love you, Steve. God bless you.