Rodney Steele
Rodney Steele was a loving husband, father and grandfather who had a love of cars and a bigger love for his family.
It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of Rodney W. Steele, 69. He was born in Tonasket on Sept. 10, 1954, to Bill and Colleen Steele.
He lived a full and rich life in the Columbia Basin. From his younger days at the Ephrata Speedway to his lifelong calling as a mechanic, Rodney prided himself on his skill and knowledge with all manner of automobiles. And as you can see, he loved to take pictures of himself.
To call him a hard worker would be an understatement, toiling the days away to build the best life possible for himself and his family. Except Sundays. Sundays were NASCAR days.
Even as the world continued to grow more and more complex, Rodney could always find joy in the simple things: fishing, friends and food. He spent many of his later years honing and perfecting the arts of grilling and smoking and took pride in sharing his creations with anyone and everyone. Each holiday table centered around his latest experiment.
Rodney is survived by his wife of 44 years, Betsy (Voss) Steele, his sister, Rosie Steele, and her dear friend, Mary Kraining, and his sister-in-law, Dianna Palmer, as well as his daughter and son-in-law, Mary Steele and Roger Whisenhunt-Griffith, and his son, David Steele. He also leaves behind four grandchildren: Tiva, Blaze, Cosmo and Rodger.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Colleen, as well as his brothers, Calvin Steele and Steven Steele, and his sister, Brenda Steele.
Rodney will be sorely missed by all privileged enough to know him. Details for memorial services will be communicated at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Columbia Basin Cancer Foundation.