Dr. Tommy Sogbafai Stevens

With deep love and gratitude, we celebrate the life of Dr. Tommy Sogbafi Stevens, who passed on to glory on June 25, 2026, at the age of 85. He lived a life devoted to learning, family, service, and compassion.

Funeral services will be held 1 PM Saturday, July 25, 2026 at Sharp Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 6063 Fenton Road, Grand Blanc, Michigan 48507. Visitation will be held 5-8 PM Friday, July 24; and 12 PM until the time of the funeral at 1 PM Saturday July 25 at the funeral home.

Born in 1941, in Kpangbaya, Sierra Leone, Tommy was the beloved son of the late Rev. Thomas Julius and Sarah Stevens (née Flickinger). Soon after completing his secondary school education at the Albert Academy in Sierra Leone, Tommy emigrated to the United States for further studies. He pursued education with remarkable dedication. Before completing his medical training at the University of Vermont College of Medicine in 1976, he received degrees from Miami University, Howard University, and the University of Wisconsin. He completed his residency at St. Joseph Hospital in Flint, Michigan, and thereafter had a distinguished career in emergency and family medicine. He ran the Emergency Room at St. Joseph Hospital, worked at all the hospitals in Genesee County, and ran a solo practice for over 30 years. For more than forty years, he cared for the Flint community, and with skill, humility, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Dr. Stevens believed in the principle of “prevention is better than cure” and spent a great deal of time educating his patients on healthy habits.

With gratitude for his own opportunities in life and a desire to lift others up, Dr. Stevens gave generously to others, whether by way of medical assistance, financial assistance, fatherly or brotherly advice, or community service. He provided services at the free clinic run by the Genesee County Medical Society, to which he belonged. Other professional and cultural organizations to which he belonged include the Sierra Leone Association of Michigan, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Association, and the American Board of family Physicians. He also taught at the St. Joseph Hospital Residency Program and mentored young physicians.

Dr. Stevens embraced life with joy. A former high school soccer star, he remained active as a tennis player, passionate golfer, devoted sports fan, and globe trotter. His travels carried him across six continents, including a cherished golf trip to St. Andrews in Scotland. He was known for his humor, his love of music, and his spirited dancing. He also enjoyed cooking, and delighted in preparing meals for family and friends, especially his signature Curry Goat Stew, Italian Seafood Pasta, and grilled fish.

Tommy is survived by his devoted wife of 44 years, Lorraine (née Edelen); daughters: Andrea; Kendra; Boi-Tia; and Simbiti Stevens; grandchildren: Andre and Amiyah; great-grandchildren: Elijah; Everly; Zaleel; and Kahlil; and a wide circle of other relatives and friends, and colleagues. He is preceded in death by his sister: Fatmata Susan Tejan-Sie (née Stevens); brothers: Augustine and Daniel Stevens; and nephew: Kembe Stevens.

May his memory be a blessing and his life an enduring inspiration.

Tributes may be shared at sharpfuneralhomes.com