Merrill Allan "Mick" Sokolik, a twenty-year resident of
Sun City
,
AZ
, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, December 3, 2010 in a local area hospital. He was 67. A native of Tobias, Nebraska, Mick is survived by his wife of 19 years, June (Sedlacek); her children, Laura and Jim Timmons of Auburn, KS, and their children and grandchildren; Elaine Sedlacek of Belleville, KS, and her children and grandchildren; Leona Sedlacek of LaCrosse, WI and son, John, and Larry Sedlacek of Concordia, KS, and his children and grandchildren; daughter and son-in-law, Don and Becky Griffin and grandson, Logan, of Elizabeth, CO; sister and brother-in-law, Jim and Jan Vejraska, of Sun City West, AZ; and sister-in-law, Angeline Sokolik, of Lincoln. Mick was the youngest son of the late Edward and Blanche (Rozanek) Sokolik of Tobias, born April 29, 1943. A 1961 graduate of
Tobias
High School
, Mick was an excellent student and an outstanding athlete, distinguishing himself as the MVP in the state basketball championship that year. Growing up in a musical family, Mick was himself talented vocally, and was very involved in student activities. Following graduation, he married Ellen Laun of Tobias, and began his career with Safeway Stores in
Lincoln
. To this union, one child, Becky, was born. During Mick's years of residence in
Nebraska
, he was a long-time store manager with Safeway Stores Inc., in charge of the Fairbury grocery from 1969 through 1985. At the time of his death, he was employed with Tasty Toppings Inc. based in Columbus, NE (producer of Dorothy Lynch salad dressing), traveling extensively throughout the company's western, midwestern, and southwestern regions. A hearty and dedicated "worker" by nature, in his spare time, Mick thoroughly enjoyed landscaping and other home-improvement projects, and was an avid sports fan! Funeral services will be held on Friday, December 10 at 11:00 a.m. at the Tibbett's Fisher Funeral Home in
Belleville
,
Kansas
with Pastor John Lewis officiating. Burial was in
Kopsa
Cemetery
, rural
Cuba
,
Kansas
.
