Page created by: Katherine Cahoon

Steve was there easiest going human you'd ever meet. Born in Scranton, PA, he had a typical 50's and 60's boy upbringing in his family's home. He enjoyed baseball and playing brass in the marching band. He went to the University of Maine and earned a degree in Forestry. After college he married his sweetheart Marieann who he had met during Summers working at a Christian Church camp in northeastern Pennsylvania. Steven and Marieann's parents actually knew each other quite well from various church activities and the couple would go on to comment that theirs was an arranged marriage.
After a few years of puttering around northeastern Pennsylvania, Steve went on to join the Presbyterian Ministry. He took a call at a church in southwestern Pennsylvania in Butler. He served this church for 21 years. He also serve the community as a t-ball, and softball coach and a lot of guests speaking at the local elementary school. He also served as the chaplain for the local Volunteer Fire Department. When his three children graduated high school he felt it was time for something different and he and Maria and moved to Erie Pennsylvania where he took on a call for a new congregation. It was while he was living in the area that his symptoms of PSP began to be noticeable and where he received his diagnosis. After being in the area for about 5 years the family made the decision for Steve to retire early and move in with his middle daughter and son-in-law in Northern Virginia.
This new household with the four of them provided daily challenges with Steve's progression of his disease, as well as new victories and new memories and many, many laughs. One of Steve's first admissions to the hospital had actually been on the same day that his daughter passed her nursing board exams. After making sure that Steve was okay his daughter reached out to the nurse manager on the unit where he was being cared for and inquired about a job. She received an interview and took the job and found her place in that hospital has her true calling and dedicates her job to her dad who she says got her the job. About a month before Steve's first grandchild was born, he had another hospital admission during which it was decided with Steve's permission to enroll in hospice. At this point, Steve had a feeding tube for 4 years and had not been able to talk for the last 2 years. He was getting around via wheelchair, but even that was a difficult position for him to maintain. His quality of life had declined so much that comfort and dignity were the best his family could provide for him. He hung around to meet his grandson, Alan Stephen and they shared Earthly space for 6 months.
Steve had graciously decided that he would like to donate his brain to research and understanding PSP. Upon his death on October 21st 2017, this would be one of the greatest gifts he could provide.
Steve was kind and funny and endured his disease with patience and grace that is unimaginable.