He is survived by his wife and childhood sweetheart, Shelley Purser O’Neil, of Auburn; his sisters, Norva Sobotta (Albert) of Lake Tapps and Peggy Barton (Frank) of Auburn; his children, Terry Grubham of Spokane and Kate Grubham of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Tiffany (Jim) Holland of Mercer Island, Washington; his 3 grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Omar O’Neil and Vesta Holm, and his nephew Richard Sobotta, all of Auburn.
Steve graduated from Auburn High School in 1970 and received an Associate in Arts at Green River College in 1973. He returned to college to earn his Bachelors of Arts degree in 1985 from Seattle University, and his Masters in Psychology from Seattle University in 1988. He always had a love of learning and was close to achieving his life-long goal of earning his Doctorate in Psychology from Walden University, all but dissertation.
He spent his early years in the music industry in the 70's, followed by a career in various areas of addiction counseling. Before retiring in 2016 he managed Federal Grants in Washington State, Georgia and Ohio over the last 12 years. Because of his expertise in SBIRT grants he was considered a nationally recognized expert in his field and sought after as a speaker and consultant to other states who were awarded grants.
Steve was the center of our family. We will miss his smile, his hugs, his warm heart, and especially his sense of humor. He left us far too early, but his life touched all who knew him.
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