Kind, thoughtful, curious and adventure-seeking heart

By: Karl Sowa

I first met Steve several years ago when we got invited to a dinner at Steve & Janine’s house by mutual friends - and we immediately enjoyed spending time with them. Steve had a big, welcoming presence and I loved the stories he would tell about doing things as a family and their other activities - including an amazing garden. In fact, we bonded over food and good cooking. I also loved seeing how he interacted with Janine and their kids - the love and affection he had for his family was obvious, and it was just nice to be around. Conversations could cover a lot of ground, with interesting points that always seemed to be grounded in a kind, thoughtful, curious and adventure-seeking heart. Lots of fun stories. :-) My most recent interaction with him was just a few weeks ago, also at a dinner with mutual friends. He was talking about how much they had managed to grow the pool & spa business they purchased over a year ago - excited about the growth, but also acknowledging the hard work and problem-solving that had to happen to keep it moving forward. It seemed pretty clear he was up for the challenge and enjoyed seeing the progress. At that dinner, as always, his love for his family was clear, and his drive to make things happen was inspiring. And, of course, more fun stories. I will miss him and his big, positive, caring heart.