Steve Head

Steve Head, 57, of Paris, passed away Friday, June 5, 2015, at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas while surrounded by his family. Steve’s death followed a courageous battle with malignant melanoma that lasted seven months. Services are scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Monday, June 8th, at Bright-Holland Funeral Home with Rev. Mike Fortenberry officiating. Burial, with military honors, will follow in Evergreen Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home one hour prior to the service. Steve, the son of Robert H. & Dora Ann Janzen Head, was born Feb. 21, 1958, in Denver, CO. He graduated as Salutatorian from Prairiland High School and was then appointed to the Naval Academy by Senator A. M. Aikin. At the Naval Academy he excelled at sports, varsity sailing, and was an offshore skipper on 44 foot academy boats during the Block Island race week and Newport to Bermuda ocean race. Following graduation from the Naval Academy he served in the U. S. Navy for six years where he was a Navy pilot and flight instructor. He flew the P3 Orion (a submarine hunter) with overseas assignments to Iceland and Spain. Steve then began working for Nissan Motor Company as a Regional Service Manager. While with Nissan he worked in Denver, CO, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. He and his family moved back to Lamar County, and Steve was told that a Toyota dealership was planning to open in Paris. He met with Jerry Bawcum and was hired before ground was ever broken in Paris. His career with Toyota of Paris, where he was service manager, spanned 25 years. In January of 2014, he began working as a consultant for MSX where he remained until his death. Steve enjoyed scuba diving, softball, being a softball coach & mentor, golf, and was an avid Dallas Cowboys fan and Dallas Mavericks fan. He was preceded in death by his father, Robert H. Head and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Charles and Barbara Martin. Survivors include his wife, Merita Martin Head, whom he married on Feb. 14, 1986, building 29 years of family and memories, his mother & step-father, Dora and Leslie Stidham of Paris, two daughters, Kellie Roby & husband Carl of Dallas and Leslie Head of Los Angeles, CA, a brother, Rick Head and wife Laura of Fayetteville, TN, a brother-in-law, Charlie Martin & wife Lisa of Halesboro, nieces & nephews, Britney Humphrey & husband Hunter, Paige Crawford & husband Colten, Conrad Martin, Graham Crawford, Aneshia Thompson, Tony Head, Helena Braswell and Rick Head, Jr. along with a plethora of friends. Casket bearers will be: Jerry Sulsar, Zach Blount, Dr. Greg Matter, Kyle McCarley, Frank Fisher and Dr. Louis Trenchard. Honorary bearers will be: Larry Wooldridge, Rick Johnson, Hunter Humphrey, Colten Crawford, Conrad Martin, Graham Crawford, Tony Head and Rick Head, Jr.