Vincent J. Steadman

Vincent (Vince) J. Steadman went home to our Lord on September 19, 2023. He was the beloved son of the late Christopher and Eileen Steadman and the loving brother of John, Bernard, and William, as well as a dear uncle to Michael and Margaret Steadman and brother-in-law to Marilyn.

Vince’s parents and two older brothers settled in Baltimore after immigrating to the U.S. from the Hook Peninsula in Wexford Ireland. The family then grew with Vince and his brother John being born in this country, with Vince coming into the world on November 17, 1940.

A fun and cherished childhood memory involved a former neighbor’s dog was recently relayed by his brother John, who fondly reminisced “Dogs absolutely loved Vince. Our neighbor across the street had a dog named Doc who was always eager to play with Vince. Doc would very excitedly wait, and listen, for Vince’s bike to approach, as he pedaled home from school.”

And those bike riding days all started with lifelong friend Larry Vickers, the two having a special friendship spanning 80 years.

As a pre-teen Vince bravely underwent multiple facial surgeries, and he endured all of it without complaint. A few years later, he attended high school at Calvert Hall, where he excelled in Spanish and was recognized with a medal for those academic achievements.

After high school, Vince went on to attend the University of Maryland, becoming the first in the family to graduate from college. And his love of learning didn’t end there. After a short tenure working for the Social Security Administration, Vince returned to the classroom, this time earning a Master’s in Library Science from Johns Hopkins University.

During his time at Johns Hopkins, Vince also became close friends with Ed Swiderski. The genesis of this friendship is worth noting because it speaks volumes about Vince’s wonderful qualities as a human being.

After Ed sustained a life-threatening head injury playing football, their friendship grew as Vince would routinely visit with Ed as he recovered, bringing Ed assignments and helping him stay on track with school work until Ed was strong enough to return to the classroom.

Vince’s excellent education led him to launch a career helping countless area residents for decades as a library manager, which was a wonderful vocation for an avid reader and a highly skilled researcher. Vince began his career in the Neighborhood Library Services Division and concluded his work with Pratt at the Reisterstown Road branch.

After almost 35 years as a library employee, Vince’s desire to help carried into his retirement, during which time Vince worked as a volunteer mediator at the Attorney General’s Office, where he assisted people who had been unfairly treated by area businesses.

In his free time, Vince enjoyed playing and watching tennis as well as following local teams, especially the Baltimore Orioles. He was also an extremely talented photographer and always had his camera at the ready to capture life’s precious moments and celebrations.

A long-time parishioner of St. Dominic’s parish, Vince was also a person of faith. He could find humor in any situation, and you could always rely on him to listen attentively and help you deal with a challenge or difficulty. He was loved dearly by family and his diverse group of friends.

The family will receive friends at the Church of The Immaculate Conception, 200 Ware Avenue, Towson, MD 21204 on Monday, September 25, 2023 starting at 10 am. with Mass beginning at 11am.

Interment Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Vince's memory to The Enoch Pratt Free Library, 400 Dulaney Valley Road or at prattlibrary.org/donate or to Stella Maris Hospice, 2300 Dulaney Valley Road, Timonium Maryland 21093 or at stellamaris.org/donate.