By Sterling McGinn
Members of the Luce County EMS, Newberry firefighters, DNR and Luce County Sheriff’s department, accompanied by Beaulieu Funeral Home, escorted the remains of former Luce County first responder Terry Stark back to Newberry on Monday, February 12. Stark died at his residence in Kingsley, Michigan on Friday, February 9.
For several decades, Stark served the people of Luce County as a first responder. He was a member of the Newberry Fire Department for 15 years and was a member and rescue chief of the Luce County Ambulance Corps and also served as a board trustee.
Stark was employed with the Department of Natural Resources for more than 40 years, serving as a survey technician, wildland firefighter and a deputy conservation officer.
Later, Stark served as the Luce County Emergency Management Coordinator/911 Director until his retirement in October of 2015.
Stark was born in 1949 to Harold and Martha Stark. The Starks moved to Newberry while Terry was in high school. He married Margaret Palmer in 1971, returning to Newberry where they raised three children: Jeremy, Sarah and Christopher. Margaret Stark served for over 20 years as a Kindergarten teacher at Tahquamenon Area Schools until her death in 2009.
Terry Stark was also active with the Tahquamenon Falls Little League and was a longtime member of St. Gregory’s Catholic Church of Newberry. At the time of his death, he was an active member of St. Mary of Hannah Catholic Church of Kingsley.
A gathering of family and friends will take place at St. Gregory’s Catholic Church from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. with a Mass of Christian Burial at 2 p.m. at the church.
