Eric Douglas Stites

Eric Douglas Stites, 52, of Kalamazoo MI passed away Tuesday, March 8th at 10:30pm surrounded by his siblings and Deb. Born, February 25, 1970, in Fairborn, Ohio, he is a son of the late, Carl Stites Sr., who was his idol.

Eric was a graduate of Pennfield High School Class of 1988 where he played football, baseball, and wrestling. He went on to work at Edward Rose & Sons and was the youngest employee to ever be promoted into a regional director role and moved up to their corporate office. He was extremely proud of this accomplishment.

Eric was an avid golfer and he loved football- Ohio State and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had a passion for hunting and working with his hands—using the skills he learned from Big C. He loved fresh flowers and watching his birds & deer out back. He had more friends than you could count and made new friends everywhere he went. In his spare time, you could find him spending time with his lifelong “brother” friends at the Schulz Cabin, telling a story about his youth, or on the golf course.

He will be deeply missed by his closest friend, Deborah “Deb” Klein (co-God Parent to Paige) of Parsippany NJ; his mother, Marilyn Olson of Upper Sandusky Ohio; sister, Marlene (Jim) Pardoe of Roscommon MI; brother, Carl (Kristy) Stites Jr of Rockford MI; niece Kari Pardoe of Royal Oak; and nieces Sydney, Alexandra, and Paige (God Daughter) Stites.

We will celebrate Eric’s life on Saturday, March 12, 2022, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at Martell’s, 3501 Greenleaf Blvd, Kalamazoo, MI 49008. A golf event will be held in Eric’s honor later this year. If desired, flowers can be sent to Martell’s for Eric’s celebration, or donations can be made to Pennfield High School Athletic program.

Eric’s wishes for cremation have been entrusted to Kempf Family Funeral and Cremation Services, 2838 Capital Ave SW, Battle Creek, MI 49015. Please visit https://kempffuneralhome.com to view the online obituary, sign the guest book, or leave messages for his loved ones.