Kenneth Michael Scripps

Kenneth Scripps Obituary
Kenneth Michael Scripps, of Grand Rapids, age 80, passed away on Monday, March 10, 2025. He was born to Kenneth and Marguerite Scripps on December 12, 1944.
Known to most people as "Mike", Kenneth was born the second of four children in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was a 1962 graduate of Grand Rapids Christian High School where he was a state champion swimmer, holding the record for the butterfly event for many years. He studied business at Davenport University and Grand Valley State University. Mike married Connie Sue Poulisse in Grand Rapids in 1965, having 34 years together until her passing in 1999. Mike married Shelly Sue Kline in 2006 on Beaver Island, Michigan, and shared many years of love and adventure together.
Playing music was very important to Mike, especially in church, and he was a member of several churches in his lifetime, most recently Fruitport Congregational Church in Fruitport, and Beaver Island Christian Church, in St. James, Michigan where he often played the piano for services and special events. In addition to playing music in church, Mike was a member of a few bands in West Michigan and played many gigs at various venues, wedding receptions and private parties.
Mike openly shared that he was a recovering alcoholic, and managed to achieve 35 years of sobriety, helping others along the way by sharing his experience, strength and hope while participating in support groups and many one-on-one talks, giving of his time and helping countless people along the way.
Mike had a very unique skill set, at one time building a garage and a breezeway without blueprints. He built concrete swimming pools, and worked as a flooring contractor, eventually opening up Builder's Foor Covering in Grand Haven, and he was respected throughout the industry by his employees, subcontractors and suppliers.
He loved sailing and boating and ran a charter fishing business for several years, often partnering up with other fishermen to take large groups of people fishing on Lake Michigan, and obtained his boating captains license. He became a Scuba diver and worked his way up to Scuba Diving Instructor, traveling throughout the Caribbean and other places while getting hundreds of dives under his belt, taking many photographs of marine life. He also was an avid pilot, and for a time was a flight instructor and was active on the boards of the Grand Haven Memorial Airport and the Beaver Island Airport.
Mike will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Shelly Scripps, his son Matthew Scripps, daughter- in-law Karla Scripps, Grandchildren Steven, Mosi, and Alaiea, brothers Doug Scripps, Bill Scripps, and Rich Scripps, many cousins, and many other family members and friends, along with friends that were like family to him! He was preceded in death by his first wife Connie Scripps and his son Joshua Scripps.
The family would like to thank Harbor Hospice for their care and compassion during Mike's illness.
There will be a time of visitation from 10 am until 11 am followed by the funeral service for Mike and Joshua to be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 15, 2025, at Fruitport Community Church, 9 S 8th, Fruitport, Michigan 49415. In lieu of flowers, Memorial contributions may be made to the Harbor Humane Society or the National MS Society.