Terry Allan Striff

Terry Striff, age 69, caught his last fish and hit the road on June 4th, 2023, in Akron, OH. Born on February 27th, 1954 in Akron, Ohio, Terry was the son of the late Jim Striff and Dorothy Wagner.

Terry was a good man who loved a cheap thrill - whether it was putting snakes in his co-worker's lunchbox, joining the birds for a bath during a thunderstorm, or reeling in the almighty large mouth bass.

Fishing would keep Terry occupied for hours. The faintest nibble, jerk back to set the hook, and reeling in was a simple pleasure Terry loved. He was also a decent pool player and looked forward to shooting pool with his buddies at the Sand Bar. You’d find him with a separate glass full of ice for his Miller Light. He preferred his 2% milk on ice, too.

Terry was a total sucker for a good, home cooked meal. He loved to experiment with new recipes and usually goofed up his own concoctions. Thankfully, his doting sister, Fran, always made sure he had Tupperwares full of leftovers after every get together. Terry, Fran, and David met monthly to try out new lunch spots, in search of a delicious meal. Many times, their outings were filled with banter and laughter as they shared their mishaps and blunders from the previous month apart.

During one of our Sunday suppers, Terry tried his hand at making a mouthwatering turkey dinner. He continuously had these grand ideas and wanted every aspect of the meal to be perfect. This time, he mixed up the measurements and accidentally quadrupled the salt in the recipe. He carved the turkey and insisted we load up our plates first. He watched and waited on pins and needles to see our reactions. He had put in so much time, energy, and effort to feed his family, no one wanted to tell him something wasn’t right. It didn’t take long for him to have his first taste. When he realized what had happened, everyone burst into laughter.

Another time, he drove all four of his girls to West Virginia in his baby blue Grand Marquis for an adventure in white water rafting. Overnight, someone raided the cooler and ate every last chocolate chip cookie. Terry unequivocally had a sweet tooth. On his 27^th birthday, he requested 27 dozen chocolate chip cookies!

Terry adored watching his grandchildren grow and figure out life. He enjoyed floating in the Drum’s pool and watching the kids play. His visits were almost always followed by one of those delicious home cooked meals he craved. He was able to watch his grandkids reel in fish out of David's pond, play softball, football, and ride around in the ATVs. He wanted others to seek the cheap thrills he thought made for an enjoyable and happy life.

A spotty list of life skills he bestowed upon his daughters: how to make fish gut/eyeball perfume, how to swing on a trapeze bar (upside down, anyone?), how to drive a stick shift and be a defensive driver, how to bait a hook, that a dog is a human's best friend, laughter is darn good medicine, and life is not fair. He tried to teach them about cars, but his taste in vehicles did not impress them.

Each year, his family went camping at the lake. Terry taught his girls how to ride bikes and let them drive his truck around the campground while sitting on his lap. He spent lots of time perfecting his camp. Tarp must go under and over the tent. Not a scrap of trash in sight. Once camp was meticulously set up, he headed for the docks to fish. In the evenings, he could be caught playing Euchre with a drink in hand, a smoke between his lips, and laughter could be heard for miles.

Terry always wanted a son, but remember, life’s not fair. He was instead blessed with his always-ready-for-a-fight nephew, little G. Terry was always down for the game “Big Ugly Bug” where his four kids would all pile onto him and he’d pull them off one by one, waiting for them to hop back on. He was also a proud Big Brother member, mentoring in his spare time.

Terry is survived by his daughters - Lisa (Adam) Wayman, Kelly (Eric) Doyne, Amy (Patrick) Troup, Kristen (Tyler) Drum; siblings, Fran Muster and David Striff; nieces, Shelly (Rocky) Kadilak, Michalyn (Geoff) Ross, Sara (Cori) May; nephew, the one and only Gary “Little G” Muster; and grandchildren, Avery, Cole, Anna, Taylor, Quinn, Tatum, and Olivia. Terry was preceded in death by his father, Jim Striff; mother, Dorothy Wagner; sister-in-law, Cathie Mattucci; and favorite brother-in-law, Gary Muster.

Terry spent over 20 years trimming trees for Asplundh and other companies before hitting the pavement as an over the road truck driver. During his truck driving adventures, he found joy in his children tagging along with him. The quarters were cramped, but he thought it was one way for his kids to see new places. He finally put the brakes on his career and retired in 2010.

A celebration of Terry's life will be announced at a later date.

Rest in peace, Terry. You were a cut above the rest and will be missed by all who knew you.