A 40-year-old St. Johns man who died Tuesday while cutting trees in a wooded area near Manchester had spent a large part of his life logging, and traveled around the state with his privately owned business, family said.

Stanley Grubaugh, co-owner of St. Johns-based S & J Logging, was clearing trees behind a residence in the 13000 block of Waters Road in Freedom Township when a tree fell and landed on him, police said. Washtenaw County Sheriff’s deputies arrived around 1:30 p.m. and Grubaugh was pronounced dead at the scene.

Manchester Fire Chief Bill Scully said two other workers were with him in the forest that afternoon. They were not injured.

Andrea Grubaugh, Stanley Grubaugh’s sister-in-law, said he had cut trees for more than 20 years and had spent years working at a family-owned lumber mill.

Stanley Grubaugh had traveled to Manchester that day for a job and was caught off-guard as he worked that afternoon. A tree he cut fell into another tree, and a limb from that one fell and struck him, she said.

“It was a sheer accident, a horrible accident,” Andrea Grubaugh said. Her husband co-owns the business.

Stanley Grubaugh had always enjoyed being outside, no matter what the season. He enjoyed hunting and fishing, Andrea Grubaugh said, and playing horseshoes with family.

“He was very, very experienced," she said. “He just loved being in the woods.”

Heidi Fenton covers police and courts for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at heidifenton@annarbor.com or 734-623-4673. You also can follow her on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's e-mail newsletters.