Dateline: Monroe The adage "he never met a stranger" truly applied to Steve. He went out of his way to find commonalities and connect with everyone he met, from the baristas at Starbucks (one of his favorite hangouts) to people he met in the line at the grocery store. If someone provided exceptional customer service, Steve made sure to let their supervisor know about it. He was very generous as well. For example, he is known to have paid for another shopper's groceries when he realized the single parent was struggling to pay for everything she had put in her cart. Steve chose to forgo paid work in order to care for his adopted mother on a full-time basis, and loved her tremendously. He enjoyed doing volunteer work in the community. Steve was a loyal friend to many, walking with them through their toughest moments and celebrating their successes. He was always willing to listen and offer support and advice. Steve grew tremendously in his faith and relationship with Christ over the past 15 years, studying the bible and connecting with other Christians through community groups at University City Fellowship and Team Church. He often shared paraphrases of bible verses that touched him. Steve was born in Onondaga County, NY, on May 1, 1958 to Stanley Edward Okon and Joan Okon Lent. He loved spending time in Old Forge NY, fishing and swimming with his brother and mother. In high school Steve was a competitive cross country runner and made "all county." He loved all forms of sports, both as a spectator and player, but especially basketball and golf. He remained a lifelong fan of Syracuse University's sports teams, and was also a big fan of both the Oakland Raiders and more recently the Carolina Panthers, loyally supporting both through the good and the bad. He joined the coast guard after high school graduation, serving both stateside as well as in Okinawa and Italy. He worked as an electronics instructor and radar technician before transitioning into recruiting in his final years. He won several awards and honors for his excellence in recruiting, and retired in 1998 after 21 1/2 years of service. Those left to cherish Steve's memory are sons Michael Okon, Collin Dury and Brandon Dury; brothers Jeff Okon (Kathy), John Okon (Val), and Stan Okon (Tara); adopted mother Olga Guella; fiancée Ruth Stein; and many friends. Steve passed away in his sleep on June 8, 2019 after a prolonged illness. A memorial Service to celebrate Steve's life will be held at 2:00 PM Wednesday June 19, 2019 at Team Church, 2301 Stevens Mill Rd. Matthews, NC, 28104. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Caring4Creatures animal rescue (PO Box 1210 Demorest, GA 30535; PayPal payments may be sent to kruthstein@gmail.com) Holland Funeral Service & Crematory is serving the family.