Obituary of Stephen Alan Pitts

Stephen “Stevie” Pitts’ love of life didn’t come to an end with his death. Steve passed away on December 4, 2021 at the age of 71 after a courageous battle with cancer, with his loving wife and best friend Sandra by his side and surrounded by his loved ones who will continue to honor his legacy by living their lives to the fullest. He is survived by his wife of 51 years Sandra, daughter Carrie, son Andrew, grandsons Dylan, Roman and Ryan and granddaughters Cassidy and Cameryn, and brother Trent. Steve faced the challenges of life with grace and laughter. He was fast friends with everyone he met and quickly managed to turn those friends into family. He was always quick to share encouraging words or jump in and help at a moment's notice. At the end of his life he faced cancer with courage, laughter, and shared his love with all around him, including Sprinkles the stuffed moose. As he had his whole life he faced this challenge with his loving wife and best friend by his side. They had a loving marriage of 51 years and still held hands every day. Steve had many careers over his 71 years, but they all had one thing in common, he had a passion for creativity and helping others. Whether this was designing beautiful landscapes, woodworking or working as a counselor at a group home for boys. He was always determined to make a difference in the lives he touched. One of his biggest passions was baseball, he loved everything about the sport from playing to coaching in underprivileged neighborhoods where every season ended by taking the entire team to a Dodger’s game with hot dogs and beer, I mean soda’s for everybody else. He loved the game of baseball and shared that love with hundreds of kids over a 15 year span. He saw hidden beauty in nature and had an amazing eye for design. He was able to create true masterpieces at the homes and businesses of many, including his own. This artist's eye was also shown in one of his other passions, woodworking, where he taught himself to be a true craftsman with not just plants but wood. He turned his hobby of woodworking into a career late in life. He helped use that creativity and eye for design to bring form and function to the two kitchens he helped build for his son, hoping with no avail that at least one would not be painted white! One of his favorite things was to “bond”. When the words came out “hey do you want to do some bonding?” it usually meant there was some hard work to be done. He would help get you started and 15 minutes later you would look around to see where he went. When you went to look for him you could usually find him taking a nap, even stranding Carrie on the roof in the middle of a rain storm once. When he and Sandy retired with their motorhome they started to travel the country going on what he would call, “going for a drive…” They visited many national monuments and found some of his favorite spots where the bison and moose roamed. He considered these travels to be one of his life’s best adventures. Though he had many adventures and had many passions in life. His one true Passion was his family. He had a 51 year love affair with his wife Sandy. Some would say their love affair began with a Chili Cheese Burger at Tommy’s and will be the love that lives on. He always wanted to make sure his kids had more opportunities than he did as a child. He was the first person to tell both his daughter Carrie and his son Andrew that he was proud of their accomplishments and to provide encouragement whether it was a kind word or a proverbial swift kick in the pants. His 5 grandkids, Dylan, Cassidy, Cameryn, Roman and Ryan each had a special place in his heart and he wanted to be close to them at the end of his life. He will forever be missed by all whose lives he touched.