Richard “Dick” Stager was born in Detroit in 1930, and moved to Middleville two years later, when his dad bought a farm on Wood School Road. His first schooling was at the Algonquin school, and in the 6th grade he started at Thornapple Kellogg. He graduated in 1948 in the Top 10 in a class of 28. In 1952, he went into the Marines. He had an aptitude for mechanics and took training in Auto Mechanics, where he finished at the top in his class. That allowed him to spend his two years in California and Hawaii, where he worked on military vehicles and refueled jet airplanes. When he returned home, he worked for Finkbeiner Equipment in Middleville until 1956, when he was hired at Michigan Tractor in Grand Rapids. While at Michigan Tractor, he initially worked as a diesel mechanic, fixing Caterpillar products that were key in building many Michigan highways as well as the Mackinac Bridge. Later, he became a foreman and service manager, and in his spare time, he would refurbish cars and antique tractors. When he retired after 37 years, Dick bought a work truck to put his tools in and traveled around the Middleville and Sebring, Florida areas doing repair work for his friends and neighbors. At 95 years old, he still gets out into his garage nearly every day to putter.
The Stager/Wake family has a long tradition at Thornapple Kellogg with Dick’s four sisters (Pat, Kathy, Ann, and Jean), his two daughters (Kim and Sandi), and his grandson (Nick Wake) also graduating from Thornapple Kellogg High School between 1950 and 2005. This fund is an opportunity to honor the school and the family’s legacy, and to pay tribute to Dick, who is one of the nicest and most clever people you’ll ever meet.
At a time when many people are opting for a four-year degree, the Stager/Wake Fund targets those who want to pursue a career in the trades, with preference given to those who pursue diesel mechanics, which remains the backbone of building and rebuilding our country’s infrastructure.