Norbert Frank (Szczepaniak) Stevens

Norbert Frank Stevens (born Szczepaniak) was born March 5, 1936, to Frank and Sophie Momot Szczepaniak in Gary, Indiana.  He later moved with his family, now including three sisters, to nearby Hobart, Indiana.  In childhood, he attended St. Bridget’s parish school, and graduated from Bishop Noll Institute, where he was a member of the choral club.

Norb served in the United States Marine Corps before moving to St. Louis, Missouri to enroll at St. Louis University. While working full-time, and later with a son, he earned both a B.S. in business and an M.B.A.  It was in St. Louis that he met the love of his life: his soon-to-be wife, Geraldine Okai, a maternity nursing instructor.

In 1966, Norb and Gerri were married at the Old Cathedral Basilica in downtown St. Louis, with the gleaming Gateway Arch soaring overhead.  In 1970, they welcomed their beloved son, Matthew.  Norb was proud to have spent nearly a quarter-century as Director of Finance for the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, retiring in 2002.

After the loss of his wife in 1994, Norb travelled with Matt, joined for some years by his mother-in-law Clara, across America and around the world.  From the streets of New York and the beaches of Hawaii, from the hills of Asturias to the battlements of Krakow, he met distant relatives and wrote new chapters of his story with lifelong friends and family.

In retirement, Norb became an accomplished genealogist, helping many people far and near discover their roots and family stories.  While simultaneously looking for his own family history, Norb made a host of friends and became a globe-spanning detective from his home office nook.

In his golden years, Norb welcomed new family members: his daughter-in-law, Anita; and his grandson, Joey.  As a grandfather, like he was as a father, Norb was patient and playful, delighting in long visits with Joey.  Joey and his “Papa” would play with building toys and spaceships, spin out hours of adventures with just a couple of Legos, watch animated movies, and scour the Internet for videos and new toys.

Norbert was preceded in death by his parents and his beloved wife, yet he remained a man who found joy in life.  He loved music, listening to artists as different as Andrea Boccelli and classic Motown.  A man who loved to laugh, Norb enjoyed comedies, and enjoyed Mel Brooks and Melissa McCarthy movies.

Norb was, throughout his life, a man who exemplified kindness, honor, and unconditional love.  He was generous to all he knew, compassionate to everyone, and thoughtful in his actions.  He suffused all these virtues with a deep modesty.  As a brother, uncle, husband, father, grandfather, neighbor, and friend, he will be remembered fondly, warmly, and often.  Through his quiet greatness of spirit, he will be with us always.