Stanley Alden Bidlack

Bidlack, Stanley Alden 4/8/1945 - 4/13/2023 Pinckney, Michigan Stanley Alden Bidlack, retired teacher of the Ann Arbor School District, died unexpectedly at the age of 78 on April 13, 2023. He passed from this life without pain or struggle, with his beloved wife Nancy (Joiner) of 56 years and other family members by his side. Stan always wanted to be a teacher, and he was a brilliant one. He was an inspiration and mentor to thousands of students, teaching English for 36 years at Huron High School, Clague Middle School, Tappan Junior High School, and Washtenaw Community College where he was known by most as "Mr. Bidlack" or "Mr. B." He took a deep personal interest in every one of the legions of Ann Arbor students whom he had the opportunity to teach over the years and aimed to inspire them to enter a "vicious cycle of success." He made it his personal and professional credo to recognize the potential in everyone and help them tap into it. His students will remember his unique teaching performances and the engaging dcor of his classroom, his humorous nicknames, drawings, and classroom awards, but most of all they will remember that he cared passionately about them and their success. Stan was born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 8, 1945, to parents Russell and Melva (Sparks) Bidlack and moved to Ann Arbor with his parents at the age of two. He spent the next six decades of his life in Ann Arbor until retiring from teaching in 2005 and moving to Oregon, where he and Nan spent the first five years of his retirement. A strong longing for family, friends, and Michigan Football prompted their return to Southeast Michigan. He and Nan lived in Pinckney, Michigan since 2009 for the remainder of his life, never again missing his weekly breakfast with his closest pals. In childhood he attended Burns Park Elementary School, Tappan Junior High School, and Ann Arbor (Pioneer) High School. It was in these schools where he first met his life partner and high school sweetheart, Nancy. Summers working on his grandparents' Iowa farm with his sister Martha and their mentor, Bernie, and his summers as a counselor at Adirondack Woodcraft Camps in Upstate New York shaped his life profoundly and led to his life-long love of John Deere tractors and Adirondack chairs. After graduating high school in 1963, he attended the University of Michigan, where he was a trumpet player in the Michigan Marching Band and graduated with a degree in English Literature. Stan and Nancy married on August 20, 1966. He began teaching English at Tappan Junior High School in 1969 and he and Nancy started their family with the birth of Lisa in 1970 and Matthew in 1973. Throughout his four decades of teaching, during the school year, he routinely labored late into the night in his study, grading papers and preparing the next day's lessons and arose early the next morning to ensure an energetic and well-prepared execution of his plans. As a masterful teacher, he made remarkable teaching look easy, but that ease came from countless hours of preparation. A man of many interests, Stan always had a side gig that kept him busy outside of his usual schoolwork, whether it was as Softball Commissioner, store attendant at his favorite hardware store, ACE Hardware, or as proprietor and sole employee of his Business Writing Services company. He even made time to earn his certification as an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Master Mechanic. On weekends and over summer breaks he focused on his hobbies of woodworking and auto repair, toiling away in his meticulously organized workshop completing a wide range of projects and making sure his and his friends' cars were always finely tuned. An admirer of comedic writing, he never missed his favorite Thursday television sitcoms, first MASH, then Cheers, and later Seinfeld, which were frequent inspirations for his humor employed in and out of the classroom. In retirement, Stan became a full-time Grandpa Poppy, nurturing a special bond of unconditional love with each of his grandkids. The fabric of those relationships is stitched with secret handshakes, Klondike bars, salted bananas, foot rides, movies, happy tears, and most famously his ability to pull quarters out of ears. An exceptional and kindly homeowner, he nurtured friendships with his neighbors by making time to stop and chat while out walking his dog, Sammy, and availing himself to any neighbor in need. As a result of his sincere regard for others, many of his former neighbors had become lifelong friends whom he would continue to visit regularly long after moving away. Stan is survived by the love of his life, Nancy, a retired Nurse Practitioner, who misses his Type A organizational skills and attention to detail. He is also survived by their daughter, Lisa (Bidlack) Saladin, a school nurse in Asheville, NC, Lisa's husband Andy Saladin; son, Matthew, a U.S. Navy physician, and Matthew's wife Angela (Gardella) Bidlack, who all remain guided by his moral compass in their roles as parents, friends, and professionals. He adored being Grandpa Poppy to his five grandchildren, Abby, Ellie, and Chloe Saladin and Shae and Zachary Bidlack, all of whom miss his funny antics, nicknames, book recommendations, and grandfatherly advice. He was a big brother to his siblings, Martha (John) (Bidlack) Russell, Christopher (Linda), and Hal (Dana), and was so proud of each of their accomplishments. A lover of all animals and the comedic relief provided by pets, he is dearly missed by his dog, Sammy and cat, Zukey. We, the family, are deeply saddened by the sudden loss of our wonderful Stan. But we are equally pleased to have had the honor of having him in our lives. We remember with a smile through our tears and pride in our hearts the remarkable man Stan Bidlack was, and the beacon of hope and opportunity that his life represents. The late astronaut-teacher Christa McAuliffe noted, "I touch the future, I teach." Stan Bidlack touched the future of so many, and we remember him with love, gratitude and pride.

A casual open-house-style gathering of Stan's friends and family will be held at Hudson Mills Metropark (Pineview Picnic Shelter) 8801 North Territorial Rd., Dexter, Michigan 48130 on August 19, 2023 from 1pm to 4pm. Block rooms at two hotels are available: Hampton Inn 7 Suites- Ann Arbor West and Holiday Inn Express & Suites- Ann Arbor West. For more information, please visit www.niefuneralhomes.com.

Donations in Stan's name to any of the following organizations would be greatly appreciated. Stan was a supporter and admirer of the Tuskegee Airmen, so donations to Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum, at www.tuskegeemuseum.org would be very special. In honor of his love of the Navy and Marine Corps, donations to the Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society at www.nmcrs.org would also be a fantastic tribute to Stan. And finally, in support of research in Alzheimer's and cerebral vascular disease, donations to the Brain Research Foundation at www.thebrf.org would also be a wonderful way to honor Stan. In addition to the above, feel free to raise a bottle of Miller Lite to Stan's memory, or attend the summer softball game of your choice, or place a visit to Iowa on your bucket list.