- Date Of Birth: October 18, 1948
- Date Of Death: March 16, 2022
- State: Indiana
Stephen J. Quinlan died March 16th, 2022. He was born in South Bend on October 18th, 1948 to Jack and Dorothy (Fette) Quinlan.
He is survived by his wife, Victoria Jane Derda whom he married on June 13th, 1970. They were blessed with 3 children and 7 grandchildren: Jennifer (m. Shane) Applegate, Jack and Zeb of Asheville NC; Caroline (m. Hank) Kappel, Suzie and Liam of Canton OH; and Christopher (m. Sarah) Quinlan, Ryan, Ella and Kate of Northbrook IL. He is also survived by his 3 sisters: Kitty Orth of Pasadena California, Gail Vogel of Edwardsburg MI, and Trish Policinski of Cincinnati OH.
Steve graduated from St Joseph’s High School, then went on to achieve a Bachelor of Science degree and a Masters in Business from Indiana University. Steve began his career as a chemist with Miles Laboratories, moved into the business division, eventually becoming a Director of Marketing for Bayer, in Elkhart, traveling all around the world.
Steve had a great love for Birch Lake where he vacationed with his family as a child and honeymooned with Vickie at Camp Tannadoonah. In 1988 he fulfilled a dream, purchasing a cottage on Birch Lake. After many wonderful summers on the lake, Steve remodeled and renovated the cottage himself into a beautiful year round home. Steve and Vickie moved to Birch Lake permanently in the early 2000’s. Steve loved being outdoors, camping, snow skiing in the winter, and waterskiing in the summer. He loved being on the water kayaking, sailing, fishing, pontoon rides, and the speedboat. He enjoyed teaching his kids and grandkids to water ski, and many friends, nieces, and nephews.
Steve had a great enthusiasm for life constantly learning new skills. He was a skilled handy man, a general contractor, a carpenter, a photographer, an artist, and a musician. He was witty, always quick with a pun. He was a big fan of Notre Dame football, and enjoyed many a tailgate and game with family and friends. He was a member of the New Harmonies Music Group at Corpus Christi Church, where he was a member of the Parish. He was fascinated with computers, especially the world of home automation.
He was his children’s greatest inspiration and the rock who kept everything together for his family and many others. He dedicated his life to Vickie, through it all. He will be remembered as a caring husband, a loving father, an amazing grandfather, a faithful friend, and a helpful neighbor. He will be greatly missed.
