I was deeply saddened to hear of Steve's passing. He was an extraordinary and great human being and a favorite supervisor of mine at Uptown Human Services Office for many years. He had an amazing memory for policy and was able to come up with creative solutions for the many problems and difficulties we helped people with every day. He was always willing to help others. He also had a great sense of humor which helped to make the work atmosphere so much less stressful.  
We also shared a love of turtles and I cared for a soft shelled turtle he surprised me with one day when I found it in a jar on my desk upon getting back from my lunch break.  He will truly be missed.

I am so sorry for your loss.  I used to go with Steve,  Jennifer, and Erik to the Bristol Renaissance Fair and the turtle races. He also helped make sure that Jennifer and I had all the ingredients to make interesting desserts and meals.  He was always so kind and loved bringing his animals to Solomon school. I will miss him.

Steve's contribution to showcase wild things will be legendary. 
God bless you Steve.

Sorry to hear about Steve's passing. I was his neighbor growing up in Glenview, and we(I should say he) caught many snakes, spiders and other creatures back in those wonderful summer years. Even though we lost touch, Steve was kind enough to attend my mother's visitation in 2013 where I had the pleasure to introduce my youngest daughter, Ashley(also an avid animal lover), to Steve. He was more than willing to share some of his life experiences around animals with her-something she still talks about today. I'm sure Steve will be missed.

I AM SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT STEVE'S PASSING.  I KNOW HE WILL BE MISSED. I LOST DAVE THREE YEARS AGO AND STILL FEEL THE LOSS.   THEY HAD A LOT IN COMMON INCLUDING A LOVE OF LEOPARD TORTOISES.  I STILL HAVE ROVER OUR LEOPARD TORTOISE.  PLEASE COMVEY MY CONDOLENCES TO THE REST OF THE FAMILY. DONNA MATTIS

We are deeply saddened by Steve's passing and will treasure the memories and photos he gave us. 
Hugs Vaughan, Dawn and Dori McDonald

I will miss your photographs on Facebook and the quiet wisdom and humor that accompanied them.  I was always envious of your closeups.  You will be missed.  My prayers for you and your family.

Mike and I always enjoyed speaking with Steve, and loved his pictures at the Faire.   He was such a sweet and accepting man, and he will be sorely missed.  We know he is getting to reconnect with all the people and animals that went before him.

Jan, Erik and Jennifer,
I am so sorry for your loss.  Steve was a good friend for many decades.  It's hard to believe he's gone, but take comfort he left us doing something he loved.  I'll remember his kindness, his sense of humor and his love of animals.  His incredible photos will live on to remind us how to view our world.  He had an amazing eye and I am in awe of his talent.  RIP dear friend, I know you're in heaven surrounded by gentle creatures and lots of flowers.

I am so sorry to hear about Steve's passing.  He was a blessing in my life volunteering and supporting me in my campaigns.  God called Steve home; and now he is at peace resting in God's arms and surrounded by angels.  "Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal."  

Love, Blessings and Prayers,

Sandra

Thank you Steve for allowing me to be a small part of your "Faire" life.  You always gave me a chuckle when I saw you skulking around or your lens staring at me. Thank you Steve, See you in the morning my friend.

Peace and comfort to you Janette.

Rest in peace, Steve. You captured some very magical, truly precious moments whether it was at the Renaissance Fair or in your everyday life. In our memories, in those snapshots of life, of moments, you will live on forever.  You will be missed, sir.

Steve was a nice guy he took a lot of photo of people  I will miss him

I didn't know Steve in person but he was in my birding group (Birds of the Heartland) and he would share some of the most beautiful pictures of Birds that he had taken which were gorgeous. They will be here for everyone to see for a long time to come.  He leaves us with so much of himself.  I am grateful to have know him even for just a little while.  God bless his family.

Dear Jan & Family,
 Staff and Children here a Paschen Park will truly miss Steve happy Spirit and friendly face. You are in our thoughts and prayers.

Dear Jan, Jennifer and Erik,
A friend and former Shedd employee who is deeply involved with the West Ridge Nature Preserve project just sent me the notice. How many connections Steve had, how many people he inspired, how many long-lasting friendships were engendered and how many tiny turtles he generously bestowed upon people as he shared his passion for animals, nature and conservation. I am so, so saddened by his sudden passing and for your loss. I will never forget riding Shadrach in your backyard or any of the other fun times at your house with all of you and the critters. Box turtles Iz and Oz will be sad too. Thinking of all of you and sending you strength.

Steve was very helpful to me as I planned a Chicago Wilderness Magazine project.  We spent a stormy morning at Rosehill Cemetery together looking for birds and were rewarded with 3 species of herons in one camera shot.  It is so sad to hear of his passing but his wonderful photography will live on.

I never met Steve personally but always enjoyed his enthusiastic posts and beautiful photos on the Illinois birding forums even after moving to AZ from Chicago (where I was a regular Montrose Harbor birder) in 2012. He will be greatly missed by the Illinois birding community.

My sincere condolences to Steve's family.

Dear Jan, Jennifer & Erik,
Our deepest sympathy on the loss of your husband and father. Unexpected loss is never easy.  Steve was such a charitable man. He was so generous with his time and talents.Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers during this time of great sorrow. We are so sorry that we are unable to attend due to previous plans.
With Deepest Sympathy & Care,
Phil, Roberta, Kaytee, Margaret & Ben Bole

Steve generously allowed the West Ridge Nature Preserve (once part of Rosehill) to use his wonderful photos. Wish he were still around capturing the critters.

I never met Steve, but wish I had.  I loved looking at his photos on the IBF and IBET birding websites.  He had an extraordinary ability to capture action shots of birds along the lakefront.  He found some rare birds along the way and was generous in sharing his sightings.  He responded to a few of my posts with helpful insight.  I feel like I knew Steve through his posts and I'll miss him and his photos.  My thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family.

The loss of someone who crossed the paths of so many people in such a wide variety of walks of life is tragic.  He seems to have had a wonderful love of nature and mankind, and generously shared that connection with everyone.  My thoughts and prayers are with his family.
Bonnie Buckley, friend of the family

Steve was always generous in sharing his photographic talents and his time with so many. We are blessed to have known him. Our deepest condolences to his family on his loss. 
- Mary Clark Schnibben and Norman Hodgson

I only met Steve a couple of times but he was always friendly and generous. I enjoyed reading his posts and viewing his pictures. The last time we met he helped me find my lifer Snowy Plover. He will be missed on the Chicago lake front! My condolences to the family!

We are so honored that Steve chose to spend some of his free time working with us at the Friends of Faire garden. He generously shared his time and his photography with us. It allowed us to see the everyday with a new perspective. That is a gift we will continue to treasure for the rest of our lives. Steve will be missed in so many ways. His family is in our thoughts and prayers.

I never met Steve, but via IBF and IBET, enjoyed his beautiful photos and positive outlook. Truly he was a great guy. I'm sorry, our paths never actually crossed in person.
May he enjoy eternal peace in heaven and may his family find comfort through the graces of God.

We were devastated by the sad news of Steve's passing on Saturday at the Nature Center.

Steve truly enjoyed participating in North Park Village Nature Center events, walking the trails to observe wild birds, pausing by the pond to admire a mob of basking turtles, or interacting with curious visitors. He sincerely loved the Nature Center, all of the staff, and volunteers.

As we all know, he was happiest when encouraging children and adults to touch or lift a tortoise for the very first time.  Over the years, he introduced turtles, snakes, and frogs to a generation of young city folk whom otherwise might not have experienced Nature up close. Back in the day, his group walks along the river at the Chicago Turtle Club picnics were legendary. You never knew what Steve might discover under a log, but he surely would identify the mysterious critter and describe its habitat to the group.

It may be little consolation at this moment of grief, but Steve did pass away among dear friends at a place he loved. He lives on in the blessed memory of those who knew him.

Steve took many photo's of me over the years at Bristol. He was just the nicest person with the camera I knew. I am so sorry for the loss we are all feeling especially as Bristol grows closer this summer. He will be greatly missed.

I didn't know Steve well, but saw him at the Renaissance Faire often. His photographs and video were always fun to look at. 

He will be missed.

I only knew Steve for a short while, but he touched my heart.  I loved his photography, and always looked forward to seeing him at Faire.  I'm so glad I got to see him at Janesville.  My heart goes out to you, Jan, and your family.  Steve will live on in all of our hearts when we look back on how he captured so many beautiful moments on camera.

I am so sorry about Steve's passing.  May God comfort you, Jan and family. I will miss him at turtle club meetings and events.  I won't be able to join you at either the wake or funeral services but know that I will be with you in spirit.

Our Lord works in sudden and mysterious ways, yet we always trust in Him for comfort.  Blessing to the whole family as we carry on with tears in our eyes, through Christ.  -Charles Aufdenkampe, Pastor

OBITUARIO

Stephen Gerard Spitzer

3 julio, 1948 – 13 junio, 2015

Drake & Son Funeral Home

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