Earl Stineback

Earl Stineback was a soft-spoken man with a big heart. He was intelligent and talented and used his skills in a variety of ways. Most importantly, he was a devoted husband, father and grandfather, willing to help his loved ones in any way he could.

The 1930s found the country deep in the Great Depression, and although 1933 saw the worst, people were still able to enjoy themselves. On January 30, the first episodes of the “Lone Ranger” were heard on the radio, and on March 2, moviegoers oohed and aahed as “King Kong” clung to the Empire State Building. Many future country music stars were born in 1933, among them Willie Nelson, Conway Twitty and Jimmie Rodgers. While in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Earl and Catherine (Lynch) Stineback were awaiting the arrival of their own little star. On August 25, 1933, the Stineback’s welcomed their son, Earl.

Growing up, Earl had a strong Catholic upbringing and attended catholic schools while living in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. As an altar boy, one of Earl’s responsibilities was to bring the nuns their habits each morning. After making his confirmation, he received the name Earl Edward William Stineback. With an adventurous spirit, Earl was never a person to let convention dictate his activities. As a young boy, he would climb up on the mantle over their fireplace and jump off; hence his family nicknamed him “Tarz”, which stuck with him throughout his life. He was also athletic and enjoyed playing stickball and football in the street, though he injured his knee playing on the cement. Earl’s father was a seaman in the U.S. Navy and bravely served his country during World War II. Upon his discharge, he moved his family to Almena, Michigan in 1945. In Paw Paw, Earl attended the area schools and graduated from Paw Paw High School in 1951. Earl’s fellow students dubbed him “big words” because he effortlessly spoke sophisticated words and even used them correctly. In high school, Earl was active in the school play and enjoyed playing chess, a pursuit that stayed with him throughout his life.

Earl married Betty Lou Hayes in 1952, and in their 20 years of marriage, they were blessed with three children: Gail, Gordon and Sandra. With the help of his father-in-law, Mr. Hayes, Earl proudly built their first family home. It was no secret that Earl was an excellent father. He always wanted to spend time with his children and stayed active in all of their lives. From driving Gail and her baton team to Philadelphia for competition to attending Scout meetings with his son, he was a constant support to his children. Like his own father, Earl encouraged his children not to take anything for granted, to do their best and always take the high road. When they slipped up, he would say “Make a mistake once, learn by it and don’t make it again.” One of his proudest moments was when his son won the God and Country Badge in Scouts. His daughter Sandy, too, was close to his heart. She enthusiastically returned his love, going as far as to say that he was "my dad", and her dad alone, even when her brother and sister were standing in the same room.

In later years, Earl met Frances Wiggins and after some time, Earl got his nerve up to ask her out and their first date just happened to be Valentine’s Day. Frances was drawn to Earl’s genuine gentleman nature, always showing her great respect. They were married on June 7, 1975, at the Presbyterian Church in Plainwell. Frances brought more than just her love into Earl’s life. She had five children from a previous marriage: Russell, Dennis, Jeanne, Franny and Sally. Earl welcomed her children and loved them like they were his own. The words “step children” or “grandchildren” were not apart of Earl’s vocabulary. His love encompassed everyone equally.

His job as a mechanical engineer took him to many different companies throughout his career. He started his first job at Fuller’s with his father then became an apprentice at Valley Metal where they taught him the trade through old fashioned methods – hands on training. He worked for North American Aluminum, Pittsburgh Plate & Glass in Kokomo, Indiana, Clark Equipment in Battle Creek and Benton Harbor, Cadillac Gauge in Troy and General Motors in Lansing. In 2000, Earl retired from Troy Design after 13 years service, but was asked to come back for nine more months. Throughout his career, Earl drafted many designs working on projects including the 87 Cavalier, On Star, and a specialty tank to be used in Desert Storm, bleachers at Western Michigan University and his proudest accomplishment was the cross on the Plainwell Baptist Church. No matter where he worked, Earl enjoyed his profession and as a dedicated employee, missed very few days of work.

Earl had many interest to keep him busy. As a member of Jaycees, he was in the play “Ten Little Indians” at the Civic Center and “Moon over Toledo” in Portland in 1999. He was also a past member of the Lions Club in Coloma. He was an avid model builder, particularly ships. After doing extensive research, his goal was to build the Titanic. He was also a World War II buff and enjoyed any documentary, especially if on the History Channel, giving details of the war and its ships. If his favorite classical music was blaring throughout the house, you knew Earl was probably working on his stamp collection. Aside from his hobbies, Earl liked to play pool and was in several tournaments. He was also a huge fan of the Chicago Bears and always kicked his cheering up a notch when they played the Detroit Lions.

Earl’s perfectionist attitude carried over from his job to all aspects of his life. His home was his castle and everything in his castle had its place. He was very meticulous with numbers and measurements, which was a great asset when working on his home. Family gatherings were one of Earl’s favorite activities. He knew that true joy and happiness came from being surrounded by his family and it gave him great pride to see them grow. It also gave him an opportunity to catch up on the new “going ons” in the lives of his grandchildren, whom he adored. Throughout his life, Earl highly respected his father, Earl Stineback, and father-in-law, Mr. Hayes, and cherished them as role models in his life.

Earl Stineback of Coloma died on Monday, May 3, 2004. He was preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Catherine Stineback, and a brother, Charles Stineback. He was married to Betty Lou Hayes for 20 years and together they had three children: Gail and Floyd Harmon of Mendon, Gordon and Jackie Stineback of Otsego, and Sandra and Steve Harmon of Allegan. Earl later married Frances Wiggins (Bommer) and he loved her children as his own: Russell and Deborah Bommer of Otsego, Dennis Bommer of Otsego, Jeanne Smith of Plainwell, Franny and Jerry Laster of Plainwell, and Sally Bommer and Tony Hicks of Coloma. His family also includes his sister, Mary Starr of Lawton; 18 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and a nephew, Terry Starr, and nieces, Angel Perry and Lori Stineback.

Learn more about Earl, view his life story film and visit with his family on Thursday, May 6, from 4-7 p.m. at the Life Story Funeral Homes - Rupert, Durham, Marshall, & Gren, Plainwell Chapel, where a Celebration of Life service will be held on Friday, May 7, at 2 p.m. To read Earl’s life story, share a memory with his family, order flowers online or make a memorial contribution to Wings of Hope Hospice or the West Michigan Cancer Center, please visit his personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com.

Earl was a loving man that brightened and enriched the lives of his loved ones every day. He will be greatly missed.