Michael Lee Stevenson, 78, passed away at his home in Priest River, Idaho on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. Memorial services will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, November 5, 2021, at the Sandpoint Seventh-day Adventist Church. He will be laid to rest in the Washington State Veteran’s Cemetery.

Mike was born on September 24, 1943, in Greenville, California, to Andrew and Clarice Stevenson. He grew up and attended school in Portola, California, where he played football during high school. He then served his country in the United States Navy. He worked for Western Pacific Railroad for a short time.

Mike worked for the U.S. Forest Service for 48 years fighting wildland fires. He moved to Sandpoint in 1989 and retired in 2008. He then spent seven years working for the Idaho Department of Lands as an aerial observer for fires.

Mike was a member of the Sandpoint Seventh-day Adventist Church. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, and spending time with his grandchildren. He and Areleen enjoyed spending winters in Arizona volunteering at a Christian school, where Mike hand weaved crowns of thorns out of mesquite.

He is survived by his wife, Areleen Stevenson of Priest River; four children, Dennis “Stony”
Hilding of Post Falls, Monte (Heather) Hilding of Rathdrum, Shawn (Timalynn) Jaynes of Gardnerville, Nevada, and Leeah (Buck) Davis of Priest River; nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; and a twin brother, Donavan (Kelly) Stevenson of Portola.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Andy Stevenson and sister Marlene Keough.

Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is handling the arrangements. Please visit Mike’s online memorial at www.lakeviewfuneral.com and sign his guest book.