William Arthur Steen

William Arthur ("Bill") Steen started his amazing life on September 11, 1935, in Yoakum, Texas. Bill, known by most as Willy as he was growing up, lived in a small house down by the Guadalupe River in the tiny town of Hochheim, Texas. His parents, Arthur Boothe Steen and Joy Coppedge Steen, were ranchers and farmers (primarily cotton) on their family land where Willy spent his childhood with his little sister Karen and his best friends and cousins, Buddy and Coco. Willy was driving tractors at 9, hunting and fishing with his cousins, working in the cotton gin, and running around freely and barefoot. In fact, Willy attended school barefoot until 7th grade, when he was finally told, that at his age, a pair of shoes was in order.

Fully shod by then, Bill was voted Most Intelligent every year at Yoakum High School. He figured they were right so he chose to go to the University of Texas, majoring in chemical engineering and becoming a massive Longhorn fan. (Their dry football years ruined more than a few family Thanksgivings.)

Engineering led him to his first job at Dow Chemical and then an enlistment in the army. Two years of army life was enough so in 1960, Bill made the wise move to American Cyanamid in New Jersey where he hit on a secretary who would become his lifelong love, Stella Knitowski. They were married on November 18, 1961, and eventually able to convince Stella's family that a mutt from Texas without a drop of Polish blood was okay after all. That was before he up and moved her to a land of tumbleweeds, dust storms and oil rigs to accept a job at Rexene.

For the next 25 years, Bill and Stella made Odessa, Texas their home. Bill worked his way up to become a Vice President at Rexene/El Paso Products, and they raised 3 stunning children, Laura, Lisa and Billy. They remember him as a kind, soft-spoken man of integrity with one slip-up that blew their little minds. On one of many family trips across the border, Bill quietly taught them that sometimes a little fib to customs that never really hurt anybody might land you an extra five bottles of tequila.

Bill and Stella eventually escaped Odessa, ending up in Dallas for a last stint at Fina before retiring to Sun City Georgetown. The Sun City life was good for Bill – lots of golf, poker and wine. Bill literally wore it on his shirt. His beat-up "Life is Good" t-shirts were regularly supplied by daughter Laura with Stella waiting to surreptitiously trash those that had become too worn.

Life really was good. Stella and Bill traveled around the world, visiting 33 countries. They created Poppy and Grandma Camp for their grandchildren each summer. Bill and Billy went hunting together (a lot). Bill loved family gatherings and made his famous stuffed burgers and crowd-favorite Poppy sauce. And best of all, he had a sarcasm that was always funny, never cruel (and usually came with a wink just in case you weren't sure) and an unexpected wit that you might miss if you weren't paying attention. But one thing you never missed, even when he was slowly succumbing to Alzheimer's, was that mischievous and unmistakable twinkle in his eye.

In addition to wife Stella Steen, children, Laura Steen Patterson, Lisa Steen Proctor and Billy Steen, Bill leaves behind some other huge fans: Laura's husband, Tom Patterson, and their two children, Sydney and Tommy; Lisa's husband, Jeff Proctor, and their two children, Hannah, Hannah's husband, Ryan, and Will; and Billy's wife, Kristin Karam Steen, and their two children, Jaden and Liam.

Services will be held at noon on Saturday March 29, 202,5 at Santa Rosa de Lima Catholic Church located at 6571 FM 970 in Andice, Texas (west of Sun City). In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Bill's honor to Alzheimer's Association, Capital of Texas Chapter, 5508 Hwy. 290, West Suite 206, Austin, TX 78735 or via their website www.alz.org/MarchMatch .