Phillip Ray Stoops

Phillip Ray Stoops: Took his last breath here on Earth Wednesday afternoon October 22, 2025. Phillip was born to Ray Ronald Stoops and Phyllis Mary Stoops (nee Cady) on April 23, 1950, at Anna Markham Hospital Frankfort, Michigan. He grew up in the family home his father built on Benzie Highway in Benzonia with his siblings: Ronald Stoops (Susan), Craig Stoops (Gail),
RaeAnn Tanner (Donald), and Mary Hill (Michael).
He started working with his father as a proprietor in Ray Stoops & Son Sand and Gravel at a young age. When his father died in April 1974, Phillip took over as sole operator of the excavation company. Due to unforeseen circumstances, he was forced to sell most of the company assets in 1990 and started to drive semi for his brother Craig at Craig's Salvage. Through this job he developed a deep relationship with the owners of Kalamazoo Metal Recycles. Phillip went to work for them for the rest of his working life as an over-the-road semi driver hauling scrap metal where he was liked so much, he could get away with almost anything. At one point he ended up rolling his semi due to a mechanical failure on an S-curve earning him the nickname Phlip Up. If you are looking for another fun story, corner Don Tanner and ask him how his record ride from Cadillac to Beulah was in the corvette. He also dabbled in other investments including building a few spec houses throughout the years.
His favorite hobbies were fishing, hunting, watching movies, listening to music, and driving his 1966 corvette, spoiling his dogs, and talking. He was one that by the time you left a conversation you probably said goodbye 5 times. There was no such thing as a quick trip to the store as he would inevitably run into someone, he knew that would require a minimum 45-minute conversation with groceries in hand.
He loved hanging out with the family, especially the grandkids. Nothing would beat a Wesco coffee mug in one hand, a cigarette in the other, grand kids playing on the floor while a movie was playing in the background.
He was preceded in death by his father Ray Stoops, his mother Phyllis Stoops, his brother Ronald, his niece Julie Stoops, and his niece Abigail Hill.
His survivors include his daughter Tammy Hankins, his daughter Angela Bhuyan (Shanti), his daughter RaeMandra Kramer (Thomas), his stepdaughter Katie Metcalf (Joshua), his step-daughter Heather Ross (Curtis), brother Craig Stoops (Gail), sister RaeAnn Tanner (Donald), sister Mary Hill (Michael), and many grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Funeral service will be held at 2:00 pm Saturday, November 1, 2025 at Jowett Family Funeral Home, Benzonia. Friends are welcome to visit before the service starting at 12:00 pm. Burial at Benzonia Twp Cemetery. All are welcome to join us at the funeral home for an outdoor Stoops family fish fry immediately following the burial.