Steve was a good man with strong principles. He always did the right thing for the right reasons. Known for his leadership, many people looked to him as a mentor and teacher. Steve retired from Dow Chemical in 2013 as a Manufacturing Director, though he always referred to himself as a Chemical Engineer. He was very disciplined and strived for excellence in his life and expected it from those around him. One of his proudest accomplishments was earning his black belt in Taekwondo in 2012.
Steve lived for speed. He loved high performance cars and motorcycles. His daughters recall his love of cars and how he taught them to drive a manual transmission vehicle and how to change the oil in their vehicles.
Steve’s passion after retirement was motorsports events. He participated in automotive races, track days, and organized group rides on his motorcycle. He was a Performance Driving Instructor for The Drivers Edge organization and an active member of the Houston Desmo Owner’s Club motorcycle group. Steve loved sharing his motorsports passion and knowledge with others.
Steve is survived by his wife of 38 years Carolyn Sands, daughter Megan Sands Schuda (Eric Schuda), daughter Erin Parilla (Jeff Parilla), grandsons Tyler and Jacob Parilla, mother Nancy Creason Sands, brother Oran John Sands III, sister Jenny Amrhein (Randy Amrhein), and sister Joyce Sands.
Honorary Pallbearers include the Houston Desmo Owner’s Club and the Fast Friends motorcycle group. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Steve’s name to Shoes That Fit at shoesthatfit.org or Doctors Without Borders at donate.doctorswithoutborders.org.
