Rolf Ovik

Rolf Ovik, 82, of St. Joseph, passed away, Thursday, December 1, 2011 at his home. A Celebration of Life Eternal will be held 10:00 A.M. Monday, December 5, 2011 at St. Joseph First United Methodist Church, 3003 Leco Ct., St. Joseph with Rev. Wade Panse officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery in St. Joseph. Friends may call from 2:00 until 5:00 P.M. Sunday at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph. Memorials may be made to Joe-Harbor VASA Lodge #534 or Lakeland Hospice. Those wishing to sign Rolf’s Memory Book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Rolf was born November 14, 1929 in Uddevalla, Sweden to John & Olga (Johannsson) Ovik. His family moved to the United States when he was a young boy, eventually settling in Benton Harbor. Rolf attended Benton Harbor High School. On June 24, 1950 he married the former Pansy Cline in St. Joseph. Rolf owned and operated Ovik’s Amoco Service Center on Main Street, St. Joseph for 44 years. In his spare time, he enjoyed fishing on Lake Michigan, hunting, traveling with his family, and going to the casino. He was a member of Joe-Harbor VASA Lodge #534 and St. Joseph First United Methodist Church. Rolf is survived by two daughters-Vicki (David) Koch of St. Joseph, Dede (Rick) James of Homer Glen, IL; two grandchildren-Bradley (Lauren) Koch of Milledgeville, GA & Kari (Ryan) Cheevers of Sherman Oaks, CA; his sister-in-law Sandy Youngblood of Shelby, MI; and his extended family in Sweden & Norway. He was preceded in death by his parents, and his wife Pansy on April 2, 2004.