Steve Walker loved his family and friends, God and music. God loves us all, but the others loved him back fiercely because he was kind and genuine and talented and hilarious. Especially his texts. Steve made text-writing an art form.
Steve was born in Wilmington, Delaware, on June 25, 1952. He moved on to heaven on August 9, 2020. We are bereft without him.
Steve was a musical powerhouse - beautiful voice that could find an unexpected harmony or deliver a memorable lead; guitar skills that many tried to emulate; recording, producing and teaching chops. But he never got over his nemesis stage fright.
Among Steve’s lesser loves, but still notable: Brandywine High School (but only because of The Family); scrapple, which makes no sense; the Linux operating system, also inexplicably; Rehoboth Beach (the best summers of his life); big, beautiful thunderstorms; small, breakage-prone imported cars; and schmaltzy movies.
Steve will be remembered always by his beloved daughters Emily and Kate (to them, he was the coolest); his former spouse and forever loving family member Cheryl; his dad Bill; his sister Wendy, her spouse Dennis and their children and grandchildren; and his brother Mike and his spouse Julie. Steve’s mom, Shirley, and nephew, Greg, passed from this life earlier.
But his circle is much broader, and includes uncles and aunts and cousins; his musical family from multiple bands including Reunion Vocal Band, Damascus, Daybreak, Division Highway, Roadside Revue and more (Steve would remember all the names); almost everyone he ever worked with; and the faith communities he was part of over the years, where he listened attentively to God and debated lovingly with everyone else, and where he found his true calling in healing ministry.
Steve gladly gave complete attention and empathetic caring to every person he encountered. The pool of those who loved him is large and reaches deep.
NO FLOWERS PLEASE, if you’d like to make a donation, support something important to you. Steve would have wanted it this way. If you want ideas, consider Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center or Beyond Celiac, which reflect his daughters’ hearts.
Due to COVID-19 concerns and restrictions, we won’t gather now. When people can be together and make music together again, we’ll honor Steve.
Arrangements by Stradling Funeral Homes, Inc., Akron/Ephrata. Online condolences can be given at stradlingfuneralhome.com.