Todd “Stix” Honch, who passed away suddenly in early 2019, was a skilled drummer who played in all Northern Michigan University bands and an enthusiastic supporter of Wildcat sports teams. His dedication is symbolized by three items still on display in his basement bedroom at his parents' house: a set of gold drumsticks; a “golden ticket” for free lifetime admission to athletic events—sadly, he only used it for one year; and the inaugural Wildcat Fan of the Year Award he received with friend Lindsay Griffith, which now bears their names.
Dennis and Pat Honch have honored their son's memory and passions by contributing to upgraded NMU Athletics facilities. They previously endowed a scholarship for marching band members.
“Music and sports often go hand in hand because bands typically play at home games; it was a combination Todd loved,” Dennis said. “He joined Northern's marching, pep and jazz bands shortly after we moved here. From that, he became interested in Wildcat sports. Doctors said he shouldn't participate, but he liked being a spectator. Todd watched his first volleyball match ever in Vandament Arena and really enjoyed it. He became a fixture there and at basketball games—always sitting right across from the team—and attended hockey and lacrosse as well.”
“Todd liked the smaller teams. He got to know the players and coaches well and they got to know him and just treated him so nice,” added Pat, with tears welling in her eyes. “And they treated us so well after he died. The entire hockey team came to the funeral. They were among 600 who showed up in a snowstorm because Todd was very friendly, upbeat and well-liked on campus and in the community. I just felt we had to do something to give back to Northern.”
The couple supported locker room renovations for hockey and men's and women's basketball, along with new court chairs for women's volleyball. Their gifts were mostly funded by applying required minimum distributions (RMDs) from their retirement accounts to a qualified charitable distribution through the NMU Foundation.
Dennis retired from the Michigan State Police after 27 years and Pat worked primarily in retail. The family moved to Marquette from Grand Blanc, where Todd displayed a sense of rhythm at a young age and played in school bands.
“He was always pounding on something; early on, it was wooden spoons on pots and pans,” Dennis said. “He always had that beat going. Even when he was walking, his hands were moving to the song in his mind. It was middle school before he played drums. He went through a summer music camp and they were surprised at what he could do without having a drum set at home. So we bought him a drum set and kept adding to it, of course. We gave it to NMU's Music Department after he died. As I said at the funeral, music was in his soul.”
By virtue of his drumming skills, Todd had opportunities to travel with NMU ensembles. He accompanied the marching band to London, England, for the city's annual New Year's Day Parade, established in 1987 and billed as “the world's greatest street spectacular.” He was also a member of the pep band that traveled by bus to St. Paul, where the hockey Wildcats defeated Boston University 8-7 in three overtime periods to win the 1991 NCAA Championship.
Dennis and Pat said they recently added to the Todd “Stix” Memorial Scholarship they previously endowed in 2020. The fund awards financial support to one student annually from any class level and major who is a member of the NMU Marching Band.
“We heard from many, many people who saw how much Todd enjoyed playing; even we didn't realize how many lives he had touched,” Pat said. “He lived for music, so we felt this would be a good way to honor his memory.”
Pat expressed appreciation to retired music faculty Steve Grugin and Rob Engelhart, along with percussion professor James Strain and Athletic Director Rick Comley, for “going above and beyond” to help Todd thrive as an NMU band member and super fan.
Following their interview, the couple guided the visiting NMU staff member downstairs to Todd's bedroom to show her his NMU memorabilia and visual clues to his other interests: reading and writing; collecting maps of different countries; and Middle-earth, the fantasy world setting for J.R.R. Tolkien's “The Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings.”
They also leafed through photo albums that preserve fond memories. These include family trips to various U.S. destinations and Todd's extended journeys with his dad on mountain bikes, a motorcycle and later as the shotgun rider/navigator in a 1995 Montego blue Mazda Miata convertible. The images provide a source of comfort amid the lingering void that is still palpable five years after the loss of their only child.
For more information on how to positively impact NMU students and programs, as Dennis and Pat Honch have, through RMDs or other charitable giving options, reach out to the NMU Foundation at foundtn@nmu.edu, or visit the website at nmu.edu/give.
