Gregory Hicks

Gregory Hicks, age 65, of Rockford, Michigan, passed away on Sunday, October 4th after a courageous fight with recurrent cancer. 

Greg was born on October 30, 1960 in Garden City, MI to Glenn and Imolene Hicks, and grew up in Albion, Michigan. Greg was always getting into shenanigans with his three brothers, Glenn, Steve and Jerry and watching protectively over his little sister, Sandy. He was a proud Eagle Scout who truly lived by the Boy Scout Law. He carried the love for the outdoors and keen survival skills learned in Scouts throughout his life, passing on his passion and knowledge about outdoor adventuring to his kids and many others. He served our country in the Marine Corps for 3 ½ years and would proclaim a loud “ooh-rah” to any other Marine he met. 

Greg first laid eyes on the love of his life, Linda, in first grade, but they reconnected after he returned home from the Marine Corps and married in October 1984. He spent 42 years faithfully serving his bride, walking through all the ups and downs of life together with deep adoration for her. He could talk anyone’s ear off about how proud he was of his two children, Bryant and Bethany, and he welcomed son-in-law Dan into the family as his own. His dream of becoming a “Poppy” came true in 2025, and Greg cherished each moment with his grandson, Callum. He viewed his dogs as members of the family, and could often be found sneaking them scraps at the dinner table.

Greg’s favorite week of the year was his fishing trip in Canada with his son and his two best friends, Mark and Dave. His happy place was a tiny cabin in the middle of Michigan, where he could hunt, fish, and cruise around with his family on the lakes, bopping to funky Motown beats. He added vibrancy to every room he was in; dancing unashamedly on every wedding dance floor, and piping up with an interesting fact about any topic being discussed over a good meal. 

His hardworking and tenacious nature led him to a career in IT security. After 26 years at Meijer, Greg retired from his career in 2025. Upon retirement, he received the Information Security Excellence Award. 

Greg was a man of faith, baptized into the Lutheran Church in 1993. His faith was evident in how he loved his family and friends well and spoke value into each person he came into contact with. He leaned heavily into his faith in the end of his life, and it comforted his family to hear that he was ready to go home to heaven. 

Greg is survived by his wife Linda, children Bryant Hicks and Bethany (Dan) Barber, grandson, Callum, siblings Glenn, Steve, Sandy and Jerry, and many nieces, nephews and in-laws. He was preceded in death by his parents, Glenn and Imolene Hicks.

A Celebration of Greg’s life will be held 1 p.m. Friday, October 9, 2026, at Matthysse Kuiper DeGraaf Funeral Home, 1601 Post Drive NE, Belmont.  Relatives and friends may meet the family Thursday from 5-8 pm at the funeral home and also one hour prior to the service on Friday.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Mary’s Foundation or Habitat for Humanity.  Condolences may be sent online at www.mkdfuneralhome.com.  Greg will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by all who knew him.