Steven/Steve/Stevo/Ste/Beechy
As everyone who knew him, Steve was full of joy, laughter, love and mischief. He would disarm you with his infectious smile. He loved his friends, his work & his family. He was most devoted to “The Red Army” and, of course, his beloved Charlie.
He was a massive Manchester United fan attending matches with his Dad from an early age, and later also with his sister Marilyn.
Steven was born on the 6th July 1979, when only 3 weeks old he went into Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital for a minor operation. During surgery it was discovered he had a number of lesions on his liver and on further investigation was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma type 4s. Fortunately his prognosis was good and the cancer regressed. Many children diagnosed when over 18 months old do not survive. Steven was monitored at the hospital until 18 yrs old and lived a normal life.
Steven was quite shy when he went to primary school in Staining, the village to which the family moved when he was 4, which may well surprise many of those who met him later in life. He became more confident after taking up Taekwondo at the age of 7.
Steven left Baines High School at 18 and went to Birmingham University and successfully completed a degree in Biological Sciences. He made many life long friends at both school and University attracted by his infectious love of life, and also by his culinary skills which made him particularly popular!
After Graduation in 2001, he was based in North London studying for a PhD which was, unfortunately, never completed. Whilst living there he founded, along with his friends Graham and Simon, Kilburn Wednesday F.C. The team still survives and indeed organised a memorial match, in May 2019, which was an amazing tribute, with players, some young and not so young, travelling from far and wide. Steven would have been proud and also highly amused by the game!
His career started with Qiagen, a biotechnology company in late 2007 in their Technical Support Department. Two years later he joined the Field Sales Team after winding up certain members of the team by inferring they had easy jobs. It was suggested he should try it and see! He did, was successful and was identified as a “Rising Star” in Qiagen.
In 2013 he was offered the opportunity to relocate to San Diego with Qiagen where living on the West Coast of America he became even more popular! He moved to the USA with Nyree, his fiance. They married in August that year. Steven and Nyree attended his sister’s wedding in May 2014 in the UK, Steven and Stephen (Maz’s husband) becoming really close friends. (Steven having done his “due diligence” on Maz’s behalf!)
Steven and Nyree introduced a very special addition to their house, “Charlie” who they took from Baja Dog Rescue. Some three years later Steven and Nyree separated although they remained close.
Steven met Liz in Los Angeles in 2016 and they later became partners. They travelled to the UK and Ireland in May 2017, and again in January 2018 to celebrate his Dad’s 70th Birthday. Over a long weekend he and his best friend, Ben were, as ever when they met, inseparable. They spent lots of time reminiscing and introducing their respective partners Liz and Vanessa to each other.
Steven was due to be one of Ben’s three best men at his wedding in June 2018. Tragically, during the stag weekend in Miami Steven was killed.
Liz and Steven had planned a new life together in New York City, Steven having a new role within Qiagen, which was cruelly taken from them in such tragic circumstances.
Liz describes Steven as gregarious, outgoing, funny, charming, affable and loveable, wildly intelligent, and in all the time she knew him she never met one person who wasn’t taken by him and who didn’t become instant close friends. He loved to laugh; he loved when people were kind to one another. He loved to make people laugh, and most of all she believed he got true joy from helping others in any way and any capacity.
He was truly a larger than life character and lived his life to the full!
The work of the Foundation we hope will be a fitting tribute to this “Shooting Star” taken from us far too soon.