Steven Clyde Finnell was born in Portland, Oregon, on July 22, 1952, and on June 14, 2018, he succumbed to his battle with cancer.
When Steve was a young boy, his family—mom Wanda O’Leary, dad Steven V. Finnell, and sister Patty Mauritson —moved from Oregon to Winnemucca, Nevada, where Steve grew up. He had a passion for drumming. In high school Steve and his best friends formed the band TC & Friends, in which they jammed for the next 40 years.
Steve began his career as a Deputy Sheriff in Humbolt County in 1983 and then moved to Reno, Nevada, in 1989 for his position in the Washoe County Coroner’s Office as a death investigator. He remained there until his retirement in 2011. While Steve was professional in his capacity as a medical investigator, he was known to be a particular type of coroner, one who was a natural at offering grieving families supportive empathy.
In Winnemucca in 1982, Steve found love with Debra Gae Hatch. They met at the Martin Hotel and married in 1984. Their first daughter Hannah Rae was born in 1986, and 1988 brought their second daughter Alexis Diane. Despite their divorce in 2000, Steve and Debbie remained loving friends for the rest of his life and served to support one another through the crushing loss of their Lexi in 2007.
Though the basic timeline of Steve’s life can be summed up in these paragraphs, his family’s feelings for him exceed the ability of simple words. He was generous with his time. He was hilarious; Steve’s obscure one-liners will live beyond him in family’s constant recitations. He was a fiend for his weenie dog boys, Tobi and Kobe. He was affectionate. Steve was a playful dad and a proud and delighted grandpa.
Everyone has a father, but only two daughters got to have Steve Finnell. Everyone has a grandfather, but only Capri Mattison got to have Papa Steve. For the rest of their lives, Steve’s loved ones will cherish his memory and find comfort in the good fortune of having him as theirs.
It’s a privilege missing this man so much. It means we got to love him.
