November 13th, 1958 – November 25th, 2018. Assistant Fire Chief and Training Officer at Oak Island, passed away peacefully at home on November 25 with his loving wife Candace Hammonds Conway at his side.
Steve will be remembered for his 30+ years of service as a paramedic and firefighter in North Carolina, which included being a paramedic instructor, a nationally certified trainer of swift water rescue, personal watercraft, and rope rescue. He also taught confined space rescue, structural collapse rescue, vehicle extrication and trench rescue. Steve was the recipient of the 2005 Higgins and Langley Memorial Award for outstanding achievement in the field of swift water rescue. Steve’s dedication to lifesaving and teaching will live on through the many professionals who took his courses and worked on his teams.
Steve was a master carpenter, woodworker, and cabinet builder, and the world remains full of his beautiful and meticulous creations. His love of woodworking remained throughout his career, fulfilling a creative passion that turned his visions into personal treasures for Candace and many others. Additionally, throughout his life Steve mentored people of all ages who learned by his example and who he helped cultivate direction and self-confidence. We are all greatly indebted to him for the time he took to help others find success.
Like many from Green Bay, Steve spent his life cheering for and cursing the Packers, a team that honored him in his last week by sending him an autographed football for his 60th birthday.
Steve was very dear to his family and friends. We thought of him as the man with the big voice who stood up for his convictions, cared deeply for others, and perhaps most of all for his great love and gentleness with children and dogs.
A memorial service will be held at Odell Williamson Auditorium in Bolivia on Monday, December 3rd at 2pm. In lieu of flowers, please donate to “Kids Making It”, an organization focused on woodworking mentoring programs for at-risk youth. As a master carpenter and mentor to many, Steve chose to donate his entire carpentry shop to this organization, showing a lasting commitment to his community and to helping others become the best they can be. Arrangements are in the care of Coastal Cremations.
Kids Helping Kids
www.kidsmakingit.org
617 Castle Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
910-763-6001
3 Comments
RIP STEVE
With your ever present commanding voice, you showed by example how to become a mentor as well as a great friend & husband.
Your furniture will always he a reminder
One of the most stand up men I have ever had the honor of knowing and working for! We had many fun conversations about football and life! Rest easy
I worked with Steve on Bald Head Island. I was on his hiring panel when he applied. I knew of him, but did not know him personally. Five minutes into the interview I want to stop the process and hire him immediately. After retiring from Bald Head Island Fire-Rescue. I was a volunteer assistant chief with Oak Island Fire Department. Steve had decided to leave Bald Head Island after the village merged fire and police into a public safety agency. Steve called me and asked if I thought he could come to Oak Island as a part-time firefighter. He started working part-time and was soon offered a full time position. Steve eventually was promoted to Assistant Chief. During his tenure, Oak Island Fire Department excelled in technical rescue, rapid intervention and firefighter mayday response. But the perhaps Steve’s greatest accomplishment was paving the way for Oak Island Fire Department to provide paramedic first response. Just about every time I was around Steve, I learned something. It might have been about fire tactics, rope rescue or eating healthier. But what I learned the most from him, was how to do what you were doing right. It has been three years since we said goodbye to Steve. But everyday someone, somewhere does there job just a little bit better because of Steve Conway.
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