Steve Terry

Treasured husband, dad, Pop, and diehard Spartan—passed away peacefully on August 27, 2024, at the age of 86.  His wife Carol and daughters Linda and Hope were at his side throughout his final days.

Steve was born on June 16, 1938, in Detroit, Michigan and spent his early life living in downtown Detroit, attending MacKenzie High School.  He and his brother Dave were less than a year apart, and they spent many summers with their sister Anne and their parents on Crystal Lake—a place that would become deeply important to Steve and his family throughout his life.

Steve graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1960.  He didn’t know it at the time, but there was a young woman named Carol Ferden in his graduating class.  They met several years later in Jackson, while he was working for Arthur Andersen & Co. and she was teaching school there.  They went on their first date in his beloved 1956 Corvette and drove away in it from their wedding less than a year later.

Steve worked for Arthur Andersen for six and a half years, where his responsibilities progressed from audits to the development of information systems with clients in the utility and banking industries.  But his travel schedule took him away from Carol much more than he wanted.  After they spent a few years in Jackson and then Milwaukee, Steve left public accounting so he could spend more time at home with his family.

Steve’s search for career options brought him back to Michigan State, where he became the administrative assistant to the vice president for business and finance.  After just a few years, he became assistant vice president for finance.  He served as a business leader within the University for decades, with many accomplishments—including creating the University’s general accounting system, spearheading the financing for the Breslin Center, and playing a pivotal role in moving the University’s medical and law schools to East Lansing from Detroit.  He was active in the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) and taught at many conferences and educational programs around the country.

After losing his own father at a relatively young age to heart disease, Steve retired in 1997 so that he and Carol could enjoy as much retirement time as possible while in good health.  They and their whole family were deeply blessed that his good health continued for many, many years—far longer than anyone expected.  Steve and Carol were able to attend countless sporting events with their beloved Spartans, including football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, hockey, and even wrestling matches.  Just five years ago, they drove all the way to Minneapolis to join the Izzone for the 2019 Final Four.  They have enjoyed sharing these experiences with friends, former classmates, and former colleagues far and wide.

Steve was also very active in the community.  He served several times as president of Emanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lansing and was a member of many committees over the years.  He also served for eight years as an elected member of the Williamston School Board and was very active with the Sunrise Rotary Club of Williamston, which named him Rotarian of the Year in 2018.  Naturally, he declined to ride in someone else’s car for Red Cedar Jubilee parade that year and drove himself in his Corvette.

The light of Steve’s life was his family.  He loved spending time with Carol at their cottage on Crystal Lake.  He also loved traveling with her to concerts, plays, graduations, and countless other events with his daughters, his son-in-law Tom, and his four amazing grandchildren: Grace, Isabel, Eli, and Luke.  He loved flying kites with the kids at Point Betsie near Crystal Lake, doing puzzles, playing multi-hand solitaire, and beating them in cribbage.  He was endlessly proud of all the kids and their accomplishments, recounting them to whoever would listen.  He said many times in his final days, “What a bunch of good kids.”

A funeral service will be held at 1:30 pm on Saturday, August 31, at Emanuel First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1001 N. Capitol Avenue, Lansing, MI 48906, followed by a reception at the church.  There will be a period for visiting with the family at the church before the service, beginning at 12:00.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any donations be made to Emanuel Lutheran Church General Fund or to the Williamston Food Bank, P.O. Box 65, Williamston, MI 48895. Arrangements are by the Estes-Leadley Greater Lansing Chapel.