Rick Stanley Busakowski

Rick Stanley Busakowski, age 72 of Arbor Vitae, died on Saturday, December 14 from pancreatic cancer at home with his family by his side. He was born in Stambaugh, Mich. on May 28, 1952 to Stanley and Florence (Piekarski) Busakowski of Iron River, Mich. He graduated from West Iron County High School in 1970; shortly after high school he entered the U.S. Air Force departing Iron River with his lifelong friend, Glen Davis.

After honorable discharge from the four years in the Air Force he began a long career in EMS. He worked for Beacon Ambulance, Ironwood, Mich. and Iron County Ambulance, Iron River, Mich. He also taught EMS for several years at Gogebic Community College in Ironwood. In 1979 he received an Associates Degree in Science from GCC. He then married Kim Seitz in 1980 and they had two children, Kristen and Ashley.

In 1985 he received an ASN from GCC and in 1999 he received his B.S degree in Nursing from Viterbo College in La Crosse. He worked for Grandview Hospital, Ironwood for 18 years. He married his current wife Betsy (Vizanko) in 1995; together they have a daughter, Daria.

In 2003 he worked at Howard Young Medical Center until retiring in 2018. After retirement he worked at St. Germain Golf Club each summer until his passing. He was a board member of the UP EMS and from 1991-1995 he worked at Norway Hospital, Norway, Mich.

Rick enjoyed golfing, fishing, and hunting especially with his partner Glen Davis he hunted with for 54 years.

He is survived by his loving wife of 29 years, Betsy; his daughters Kristen (Steve) Anderson of Duluth, Minn.; Ashley Volk of Park Falls, and Daria Busakowski of Wausau, and by three grandchildren Jalen, Bennett and Emery all of Park Falls, and his sister Bonnie (Bucatur) of Las Vegas, Nev. and his ex-wife Kim (John) Smith and many close in-laws and friends.

Preceding him in death are his parents Stanley and Florence Busakowski and in-laws James and Cecilia Vizanko.

Memorial Gathering for Rick will be held on Friday, January 17, 2025 from 10 to 11 a.m. followed by a Memorial Service at 11:00 am with Military Honors at Nimsgern Funeral Home Chapel in Woodruff. Memorial Service will be live streamed at nimsgernfuneral.com on Rick’s obituary page.

Inturnment will take place at Sunset Acres Cemetery in Ironwood, Mich.

A special thank you to Compassus Hospice staff as well as Marshfield Medical Center Oncology Department and staff.

Online condolences may be shared at www.nimsgernfuneral.com. Nimsgern Funeral & Cremation Services is serving the family.