Kind, hard-working,
enthusiastic, artistic
Steve was born and raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland by his parents John and Diane Meredith. He and his younger sister, Stephanie, attended Kent County High School in Chestertown.
As a young boy Steve acquired a love of the outdoors, including hunting and fishing that he often enjoyed with his father. He was an active member of the Boy Scouts while growing up, as well. Meanwhile, he learned how to work on engines of old cars and trucks and was pretty talented at it.
His senior year of high school in 1987 was spent working a half-day at Kirby Memorials in Chestertown and attending classes for the other half of the day. While working there he discovered that he had a natural artistic talent for hand-etching scenes and photographs onto the tombstones.
Steve married when he was in his early 20s and the young couple moved to Milford, Delaware where he worked for William V. Sipple & Son. They became parents to a daughter, Erin, and a son, Jase.
His etching talent didn’t go unnoticed, as word spread among undertakers on the Eastern Shore and into Delaware. He was eventually able to open his own business in space he leased from the Sipple family. However, Steve began suffering from pain attributed to arthritis and was being medicated for his condition, so he was able to continue to work.
His mother Diane said that as his condition worsened as did his dependence on pain killers. Over the next several years his business closed, but he continued working for others for a while. He also went through a divorce.
Steve attended a rehab center in Detroit, Michigan where he stayed for about two months and returned home to live and attempt to get back on his feet through counseling and work. There were more ups and downs, but he was able to spend the last year of his life with his mother and grandmother in Easton, Maryland. “We have some good memories,” said his mother, Diane.
Steve’s daughter Erin graduated from Washington College in Chestertown and is a teacher. His son, Jase, is a junior at Wesley College.
Steve’s mother, Diane, provided information for this profile.
Nov. 14, 1968 – Dec. 9, 2018
Age 50
Lived with addiction 15 years
