William D. Stevens

1933 - 2020

William D. Stevens of Hart, passed away at the age of 86 on April 10, 2020. Bill was born June 26, 1933 in Hart, Michigan and was a lifelong resident of the area. He was the son of the late Anne and Dr. Henry Stevens. Bill was the oldest of four brothers: James Stevens (late Janice), the late Dr. Thomas Stevens, and Lawrence Stevens (Linda). He married Laura Louise Stevens, formerly of Lexington, Kentucky, on August 5,1959.

Bill served in the US Army as a young man, later learning the barber trade and owning a barber shop as well as retail businesses in Hart. He was active in the community and one of the founders and promoters of the Hart Historic District. He had a passion for creating and loved the challenge of restoring vintage storefront animated dolls and designing intricate dollhouses and model boats. Some may remember him with his Saint Bernard, pulling animated dolls in holiday parades. Bill loved spending time in the Historic District creating new displays, leading tours and meeting new people. Bill was a volunteer ambulance driver and enjoyed attending Hart Rotary Club meetings for many years. He was also a member of the Hart United Methodist Church. Bill loved animals of all kinds and always seemed to have a dog at his side. Another favorite pastime was sailing his sail boat with his daughter Becky on Pentwater Lake and Lake Michigan. At a young age, he had the opportunity to travel around the country with his family and that love of travel carried on through his entire life. Bill was always up for any kind of adventure, big or small. A few of his adventures included rafting down the Colorado River, solo skydiving, becoming a licensed pilot, water skiing, boating, traveling in his small motor home, and driving a kindergarten school bus. Bill was a great storyteller, with many of his stories detailing his and his three brothers' (mis) adventures while growing up on a small hobby farm in town.

He will be dearly missed by his son, Geoffrey Stevens of Russell, Massachusetts; daughter, Rebecca Stevens (Dean Baumgartner) of Zeeland, Michigan; and daughter Lisa Bouwkamp (Randy) of Holland, Michigan. He was a wonderful grandfather to his grandchildren: Ellery Laird (Jacob) of San Diego, Calif.; Rilee Bouwkamp (Sarah) of Ann Arbor, Mich.; Quinn Bouwkamp of Holland, Mich.; Onika Bouwkamp of Holland, Mich.; Sarah Bishara (Norm) of Ann Arbor, Mich.; and Scott Baumgartner (Nicole) of Holland, Mich.

A celebration of life of a dear husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather, neighbor and friend is being planned for a future date. Please send memories to the family at WilliamDStevens1933@gmail.com and to stay informed of event details. Arrangements are by Harris Funeral Home, Shelby www.harrisfhome.com.