Steve Humphrey

With a great sense of humor, an infectious laugh, and a generous heart, Stephen Humphrey lived a life rich in family and friends. From his earliest years, Steve was passionate about helping people and wanted to use his gifts and talents to improve the lives of others. Selfless and kind, Steve always put the needs of others above his own. He tried his best to make this a better world for all, and said his life could be condensed to six words, “He did many difficult jobs well.” Steve embodied this sentiment, becoming an inspiring role model for how to live a caring, wholehearted life. A wonderful husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, uncle, and friend, Steve will long be remembered by those he so dearly loved.

The year 1948 proved to be one of continued celebration of the end of World War II. As America's heroes eagerly returned home, a renewed spirit and hope filled the air. American prosperity grew like no other time in our history. The Greatest Generation soon proliferated, creating the age of the Baby Boomers. In the hearts and home of James and Anne (Nicksic) Humphrey, the cause for celebration grew even greater as they welcomed their son Stephen on January 17 in Hastings, Michigan.

Steve grew up on small farms in Carlton Township, Barry County, where he learned to work hard and love life. The family raised sheep and chickens, collecting the eggs every morning and clearing gravel and picking rocks from the fields - an outsized chore for a growing young man. He enjoyed the good company of his older sister Karoleen and two younger siblings, Jeanne and William, and was raised by hard working parents. When the family moved to Kalamazoo in 1960, Steve bade a tearful farewell to his beloved farm life and his best pal Jake, the beagle. But he would grow quickly in his new environment, becoming class president before graduating from Parchment High School in 1966. He continued his education at Western Michigan University, where he proudly graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology, with a minor in chemistry, in 1969.

With his degree in hand, Steve applied for a job with the Upjohn Company (which later became Pharmacia Corporation and eventually Pfizer) and began his career in cardiovascular research with the company. Over his 40-year career, he advanced to the rank of Senior Research Scientist and was eventually presented the W.E. Upjohn award; he was one of the first to be promoted to such a high level without a Ph.D. Steve made significant contributions to over 24 drug candidates. He was highly regarded for his work, and was especially proud of the complex drug-interaction studies he directed, supporting the development and FDA registration of drugs such as Rogaine, Xanax, Zyvox, Halcion, and many others.

After retiring from Pfizer in 2003, Steve collaborated with a group with nine other scientists and worked long hours to establish the contract research lab PharmOptima LLC, where he remained for several more years. He loved sharing stories with his personal doctors about the background and origins of the drugs they prescribed, and many were impressed by the breadth and depth of his medical knowledge. Throughout his career, he worked with a variety of animals including dogs, cats, monkeys, and rats. He had a talent for catheterizing veins, particularly in smaller animals. His compassion and appreciation for the animals he worked with shined even brighter when he adopted and gave a new home to one of the dogs, Maggie, who retired from his lab.

As a high schooler, Steve met his future bride, Ruthann Anderson. Very beautiful and equally humble, Ruthann earned a secretarial degree from Parsons Business School in 1967 and worked in the Education and Facility Planning Offices of Western Michigan University. The happy couple married on May 4, 1968, officially beginning their 40 years of marriage and a shared love of family.

Steve and Ruthann were blessed to raise two sons, Craig and Marc. As a family, they enjoyed spending time together at their home, fishing, planting flowers, tending to their garden, bird watching, and caring for their pet beagles. They were a modest family, and a big night out consisted of supper at Ponderosa or Wendy's, followed by an evening of the Muppet Show.

Perhaps the greatest example of Steve’s unyielding love is the care he provided Ruthann during her 30-year battle with spinal meningioma. He travelled to every medical appointment, and joined her throughout numerous, lengthy hospital stays in both Bronson and the University of Michigan medical centers. Her illness was aggressive and complex, resulting in widespread paralysis as well as debilitating neuropathic pain. Steve would devote many tireless weeks at a time while caring for his beloved wife, until her untimely passing in 2008.

Sports were one of Steve’s passions. He and the boys would frequently wake up early on the weekends to fish at area lakes from spring until fall, and on occasion he would mount a trophy fish by hand to display on the basement wall. Baseball, too, was a huge part of the Humphrey family. He taught his sons to throw, catch, and hit, as well as the finer points of the game. He built a backstop in the side yard, where he would pitch tennis balls for batting practice every night after supper. Both Craig and Marc played baseball at Westwood Little League, and Steve helped coach their teams for around 12 seasons. But it was hockey that was his greatest love. Every winter, he built an ice rink in the side yard on Fairgrove Street. His rink was such a hit it once made the front page of the Kalamazoo Gazette. Here he taught his kids to skate, and ultimately coached many of their teams in the Kalamazoo Optimist Hockey Association (KOHA). He also supported their Kalamazoo Central High School varsity hockey teams by volunteering in various capacities. For over 40 seasons, beginning in 1979, he played in the Kalamazoo Valley Over-thirty Hockey Association (KVOHA); over the last several years, as the game speed increased, he opted to play with a newly-formed 60+ hockey club, the Kazoo Geezers, and he was still skating with them as of April this year.

Eager to share his knowledge and inspire others, Steve often gave his sons advice, be it in school or sports or life in general. He would frequently say, “do things right or don’t do them at all,” and he encouraged them to “turn it loose” when on the ice. Academically, he helped his boys in all areas, ranging from composing themes in English to balancing chemical equations - a tradition he shared with his middle-school-aged grandkids as well. Steve would occasionally host his family for lunch at the Upjohn cafeteria, and then invite his kids up to his lab to display what he was working on and share his knowledge of the sciences.

Steve was a man who found joy in simple things. He loved puzzles, and framed and hung several dozen on the walls of his home. His vast knowledge aided him with countless crosswords. A vast collector of items, he would make a space for anything that had potential value. Steve and his family had many beagles throughout the years: Jake, Moose, Augie, Maggie, Mugsy, Alfie, and Patches. They were renowned in their Fairlane plat for their bike rides with a beagle in his basket; many of Steve's neighbors remembered him fondly as “the dog guy." He was also known to help any neighbor in any pinch, at any time of day.

As we celebrate Steve's wonderful life, may we find much comfort in our many treasured memories. May we also find comfort in the honor of carrying his legacy forward. In each moment we confidently face life's challenges, play a game of hockey, work a puzzle, indulge in a good burger or instant coffee, enjoy a favorite canine's companionship, share time with our beloved, or gather with friends and family, we keep Steve's memory alive and inspiring others as he so inspired each of us.

Stephen Humphrey of Kalamazoo, age 76, passed away quietly under the hospice care of his sons on September 11, 2024. He was preceded in death by his wife, Ruthann, and his father, James Humphrey. Surviving are his children: Craig (Bonnie) Humphrey of Rochester, IL, and Marc (Kathrin) Humphrey of Vienna, Austria; grandchildren: Jaeden, Alyssa, Anna, and Jack; his mother, Anne Humphrey; siblings: Karoleen (Thomas) Wood, Jeanne (Skip) Burger, and William (Mary) Humphrey; and many nieces and nephews.

Please join us at a Life Story Celebration where food, drinks, and stories will be shared on Friday, November 1, from 11 AM to 1 PM at Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo (269) 375-2900. Celebrate Steve's life online by sharing your favorite stories and photos on his dedicated webpage at BetzlerLifeStory.com. Memorial contributions may be made to Loaves and Fishes or The Nature Conservancy.