Scott Stevens

There are people in this world who leave an impression on you. Scott Stevens was one of them.

Scott Lee Stevens was born August 1, 1958, in Pigeon, Michigan to Sherman and the late Arlene (Wichert) Stevens. He passed away peacefully in his home in Kalamazoo, Michigan on December 6, 2025. He was 67. When Scott was around six months old, his mother realized he wasn’t moving like a baby should at that age. She took him to the doctor where he was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. It was suspected to be Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type II. He was 40 years old before the diagnosis was confirmed. The completion of the Genome Project helped confirm the diagnosis. Scott never walked. He was wheelchair bound from birth.

Scott grew up in a working-class family. It was important to his parents that he have as normal a childhood as possible. Scott wasn’t able to run or ride a bike, so his parents bought a used golf cart and added hand controls to it so he could get around while he played with his siblings and the kids in the neighborhood. His childhood dog, a grey Weimaraner named Mitzi, ran with him for hours each day as he and his brother rode in the cart. Scott beamed with joy and pride as he spoke about those days growing up.

Scott had an incredible mind. His IQ was tested twice, measuring 160 and the second time at 180. Scott could figure out how to do anything. He just wasn’t physically capable of doing them. He was always willing to help out based on what he could learn and teach. It was his ability to explain that made him an excellent teacher.

When Scott was a teenager, he was told by a doctor that he wouldn’t live to be 50. That particular news lit a fire in Scott to accomplish as much as he could while he was alive. He graduated from Lakers High School in 1976. In September 1976, he started college at Saginaw Valley State University to study accounting and finance. By December 1979, Scott had earned both a BBA and an MBA, a feat that would have taken the average person 5-6 years to complete. Scott did it in three.

He dreamed of going to law school to become a tax attorney, but law schools weren’t within driving distance. Making the logistics work in order for him to attend was too difficult. So, he dove into his career. He worked in banking, accounting, financial services, real estate, insurance, and eventually got into teaching. Teaching is where he spent the rest of his career.

Scott was a full-time professor at Davenport University (the former Great Lakes College in Caro). He taught accounting, business, management, finance, and economics. In 2001, he switched to teaching online exclusively to protect his health. In addition to teaching at Davenport, Scott also taught as an adjunct at other universities, namely Baker College, Lakeland College, Upper Iowa University, and the University of the Incarnate Word. He was laid off by Davenport in 2015. He continued to teach as adjunct for Baker College until 2020 when the pandemic hit and enrollment declined. Scott would still be teaching if he hadn’t been laid off. Scott was always able to make money and did so because it’s what he could do; it’s how he contributed.

Scott is survived by his wife of 29 years, Barbara, his two stepdaughters, Natalie Isham and Marianna (Larry) Williams, his granddaughter, Natalie Kaylynn Isham, Williams’ grandchildren Bub (Hannah), Adrianna, and two great-grandchildren, Isabella and Maddox, his father, his sister Debbie and her husband Carl Graham, his brother Mark and wife Kim, his brothers-in-law Mark and Matt (Sue) Jahr, sister-in-law Donna Jahr Dunphy, and several nieces and nephews. Preceding him in death were all of his grandparents, his mother, his brother-in-law Jeff, his nephew Grahm, and his in-laws, Ramon and Florence Jahr.

Scott’s wheelchair drew attention to him for reasons he didn’t like. He was always impressed that the people he grew up with treated him with respect and no differently than any other individual. They viewed the chair as just something to deal with, not what made Scott who he was. Scott talked a lot about the people he grew up with. A few names stand out - the entire Brown family, who lived next to Scott and his family in Bay Port, and school friends Rod Finkbeiner and Steve Holodnyk. If any of you read this, please know that you had a positive impact on Scott’s life. Countless others did, too, but Scott spoke of all of you the most.

Scott had thousands of students over the years. If he impacted you while you were his student, please share your story with his wife, Barbara, by emailing her at ms201119@charter.net. Scott knew of some of the successes of his students, but as a typical teacher, he impacted more people than he was aware.

Scott will be greatly missed. Celebrate Scott’s life online by sharing favorite stories or photos on his dedicated web page at BetzerLifeStory.com. Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo (269) 375-2900.