Life Story / Obituary
Max Strickland, age 83, of Traverse City passed away peacefully Friday, August 16, 2024 with his family by his side. He was born March 6, 1941 in Northport to Ray and Caremen (Blacken) Strickland.
On September 1, 1962, Max married the love of his life, Ronnie Johnson in Traverse City at Trinity Lutheran Church. Together they raised two children.
Max graduated from Traverse City Central High School in 1959. He went on to become a sales representative for American Chicle and Brown Lumber. He also went on to obtain his builder’s license and worked for Burkholder Construction as a construction supervisor for over three decades. During that time, he became very interested in Green Building and became recognized as the leading high performance and green building expert in Michigan. He retired from Burkholder and started a high-performance building consulting firm, Strickland, Ewing & Associates in 2003.
When he wasn’t working, Max enjoyed puttering around the house, riding his E-bike, spending time with his grand kids and attending all their sporting events. He also volunteered his services to Habitat for Humanity building program, the Homebuilders Association of the Grand Traverse Area Green Build committee and the American Lung Association Health House project. For the past several years he has been part of a team developing a Zero Energy Residential Neighborhood
Max will be greatly missed by his wife of 42 years, Ronnie Strickland of Traverse City; two children: Christopher (Hilary) Strickland of Traverse City and Jim Strickland of Traverse City, 4 grandchildren: Alex, Rachel, Grahm and Carly, his siblings Brian and Brenda of Traverse City.
Besides his parents, Max was preceded in death by his brother Jim and sister Kay.
A Memorial service will be held Friday, September 13, 2024, at 3 p.m. at the future EverGreen TC development on Gray Rd, between Cedar Run Rd and M-72 in Traverse City. Family will greet friends beginning at 2 p.m.
Memorial contributions in Max’s name can be directed to Habitat for Humanity.
Please share a memory of Max at www.lifestorytc.com.