Stanley Daniel Bien

Stanley D. Bien, 67, of Lansing, Michigan. Loving husband, father, and friend to all, passed away surrounded by his beloved family on September 2, 2022. Born on November 13, 1954 in Gary, Indiana he spent his youth in Merrillville, Indiana and attended Andrean High School. Stan received his bachelor degree in accounting and economics from Ferris State University where he was a member of Delta Sigma Pi fraternity and played football for the Bulldogs. He continued on to earn his Master of Public Administration degree from Western Michigan University in 1982.

In 1977, Stan began his career of service with the State of Michigan in the Department of Public Health. It is there that he met his wife Jeannie, and they were soon married in October 1979. During his tenure, he held several roles that ultimately prepared him to become the Michigan Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Director. With his thoughtful leadership, Michigan became the first state to successfully pilot the WIC electronic benefits transfer program (referred to as EBT) making theirs one of the premier WIC programs in the country and serving as a model for other states. Stan was extremely proud of his work accomplishments because he loved helping people and knew he was making a positive change in the lives of underserved women, infants, and children. After over 40 years in public service, he retired on February 28, 2018.

Stan’s faith and love for his family were his driving forces. Anyone that had the opportunity to know Stan, loved Stan. He treated everyone like family and with kindness. He truly was one of a kind and always the happiest while making other people happy. He had a special talent for making everything more fun and getting people to laugh. His zest for life and the outdoors was second to none. He enjoyed frequent walks in the woods behind his home, golfing, camping, skiing in northern Michigan, fishing anywhere he could, and he loved to explore and try new things. As a man of faith, Stan was a member of both St. Therese Church and St. Gerard Church in Lansing where he regularly attended services.

Stan is survived by his wife of 43 years Jean (Lotoszinski) Bien, his son Nicholas, his daughter Katie (Tyler Hansen), and son Jeffry. Also to cherish his memories are his sisters Diane (Edmund) Malinowski and Victoria Bien, sister-in-law Joyce Bien, several nieces and nephews, special brothers-in-law James, Henry, Mark, and Edward Lotoszinski, Jeffry Reamer, Terry Brown, and their wives. He also loved his fraternity brothers whom he considered family, especially our dear friend Mike “Chum” Chmura. Stan was preceded in death by his loving parents Stanley E. and Lillian (Gapinski) Bien, and his brother Daniel. He will be missed dearly, but we are grateful for all of the memories and know he will always be watching over his loved ones from above with a smile.

Stan’s family would like to thank Bill and Kristina from Sparrow Hospice and the team at University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center for their excellent care.

Services will be held on Tuesday, September 13th at St. Therese Church (102 W. Randolph St., Lansing, Michigan 48906). A visitation will take place at 10:00 AM at the church, followed by a memorial mass at 11:00 AM with a luncheon to immediately follow in the cafeteria.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Michigan Breastfeeding Network as Stan served on their Board of Directors and was passionate about the organization’s cause: https://mibreastfeeding.org/donate/ or 503 Mall Ct., Lansing, MI 48912.

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