Steve was born in Lakehurst, NJ to Spike and Mary Predaris in 1954. His family also lived in North Carolina and California while his father served in the Marine Corps. They returned to the New Bern area in 1964 where Spike eventually retired.
Steve graduated from NBHS and Craven Community College before attending East Carolina University. He graduated with a BSBA in 1978. He had a 20+ year management career prior to returning to school to earn a degree in Radiography, graduating Summa Cum Laude. He enjoyed working as a Radiographer and Medical Assistant prior to retirement.
Steve was a bona fide beach bum, loved the ocean, boogie boarding and boating on the river. He spent the majority of his free time there during the warm months. In the off season, he was an avid Carolina Basketball and ECU Football fan. He also loved working outdoors, turning every yard he touched into a showplace. He spent months after every storm, but especially after Hurricane Florence taking the disaster the river caused in our yard and returning it into the beautiful view he had spent years creating. He truly had a green thumb and especially loved cacti and succulents. He could take a plant that was almost dead and bring it back to life. He did this for his mother many times!
Steve enjoyed music of all kinds, loved history, sci fi movies and old shows. He was willing to watch even the corniest of movies with me. He had a great sense of humor and kept me laughing our whole life together. Even with hair past his shoulders when we met in the early 70s, he won my Marine father and my mom over with his silly jokes.
Steve loved animals and enjoyed all of the dogs he had from his early life to our Huskies in more recent years. He looks forward to seeing them again in Heaven. He was a truly nice person who put others before himself. He quietly helped many friends and co-workers in need without expecting anything back. He spent a considerable amount of time with his mother and mine in the last few years of their lives trying to make their time more pleasant and they both loved him for it.
He was preceded by his parents, Spike and Mary Predaris, his brother Jerry, his in-laws Chuck and Sue Dorffeld, his sister-in-law Joyce Dorffeld, and many aunts, uncles and cousins.
He is survived by wife, Ann, sister Kathy Daniels (Tommy) and their son Chris, brothers and sisters in law who loved as much as immediate family, Bob (Jules) Dorffeld, Ruth (Gray) Stout, John (Stephanie) Dorffeld, Mary (David) Lewellyn and their children and his favorite Aunt Lois. He is also survivied by special friends Gary Sparrow, Skipper Priester, Brian Cahoon and Jerry Tenney.
Funeral service will be at First Baptist Church, Middle Street, New Bern at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, 7-1. Casual clothing preferred.
We would like to thank Dr. Sarah Carroll, her nurse Denise, and her MA Megan of the SECU Cancer Center and the people at Craven County Hospice for making Steve's journey through cancer easier with their empathy. We truly appreciate all they have done.
If you would like to remember Steve, please do not send flowers, but plant a tree or bush somewhere to make the landscape prettier. An alternative if you would like is to make donations to: Craven County Hospice, P.O. Drawer 12610, New Bern, NC 28561. Make checks payable to: Craven County Health Department Foundation.
Arrangements are held by Cotten Funeral Home and Crematory.
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