William Horace Stephens, 72, passed away at his home in Foley, Alabama on Sunday, July 4, 2021, after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was “Horace” to family and “Steve” to most. Steve was born to Carl and Sudie Stephens in Leesville, Louisiana on May 17, 1949. It was his childhood that primed him to grow into a hard-knocking, rugged cowboy. Steve’s family hailed from rural Louisiana, where for the most part, if they didn’t grow it, they didn’t eat it. His brothers knew he would be a cowboy from the start – they would be playing in the pine sapling thicket, and they would ride the pine saplings like squirrels. Steve was drawn to adventure his entire life: at one point he dropped out of a helicopter to gather alligator eggs. He and his brother Derrell took a trip to Nashville together, and when Steve’s foot got tired, he decided he would tie a brick to the accelerator pedal – an incident he was proud to boast he survived. He loved to hunt and fish, and he enjoyed water-skiing. Steve played a six string until a horse bit off his finger, then he moved to the bass guitar, which is a testament to how driven of a person he was. He loved playing music and made many friends through music, motorcycles, cows and horses over the years. He spent a short time at Northwestern University, worked for GC Murphy as a manager developing different stores, and he was a foreman for Litton Industries (Ingalls) before retiring to do what he truly loved – train horses. One would think that in retirement, a person would shy away from hard work and live a life of leisure, but that life wasn’t meant for Steve. He was honored to have the opportunity to accompany trained cutting horses to their new home in Germany. Steve loved cooking Cajun food over an open campfire, or at home – he loved to cook and was good at it, so the venue was of no importance. In 2001 Steve met Kathy, his future wife, who shared his love and enthusiasm for horses. Having found his true partner in crime, he married Kathy in 2004, and they spent their time trail riding, camping, and often taking friends over to Coldwater in Milton, Florida. A few years later, along came the true apple of Steve’s eye, he and Kathy’s son Cody. Cody was Steve’s second chance – his entire world revolved around his son, and every breath he took was to ensure that Cody would grow into a strong, loving man – so much that Steve was convinced he would beat cancer to be around for Cody. The world lost a true cowboy this Independence Day, and when we gather we’ll tip our hats to an amazing soul gone too soon.
Steve was preceded in death by his son, Blake Stephens; and his parents, Carl and Sudie Stephens.
Left to cherish his memory is his wife, Kathy Marschat Stephens; sons, Cody and Jeffrey Stephens; brothers, Derrell Stephens and Keith Alsup; beloved sister, Carol Overbey; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and other cherished family and friends.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, July 10, 2021 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Pine Crest Funeral Home on Dauphin Island Parkway in Mobile, with a chapel service immediately following. Interment will be in Pine Crest Cemetery.
Steve’s family would like to extend the option of sending flowers, or, donating to the GoFundMe page for Cody Stephens’ College Fund.
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