Steven Steinbrueck

Steven Paul Steinbrueck, 76, passed away May 21 at home in Sylva, surrounded by his loving family, after a brief but fierce journey with pancreatic cancer.

Steve’s warmth, generosity, curiosity, intellect, and commitment to fighting for the safety and joy of all humans were legendary. The loss his family and community feel is enormous.

Steve was born in St. Louis on May 30, 1949, the second of four children born to Henry and Rebecca (Paulding) Steinbrueck. He was raised in the then-small western suburb of Ellisville and lived within biking distance of dozens of cousins, aunts, and uncles. He graduated from Lutheran High School South in 1967 and attended Concordia University (formerly Concordia Teacher’s College) in Seward, Nebraska. He left school after three years and was promptly drafted into the Army. He trained as a medic and met his wife, Pat, then a lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps working in labor and delivery, at Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco. They spent the first years of their marriage in Honolulu, where Steve completed his bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of Hawaii, the foundation for a lifelong career in health-related fields.

When Pat was transferred to Washington, DC, Steve completed a physician assistant program at the George Washington University and worked in family practice. In 1981 Steve and Pat, with their children Lisa and Scott, moved to Augusta, Georgia, where Steve worked in pediatrics, served as faculty and clinical director of the PA program at the Medical College of Georgia, and earned a Master of Public Health from the University of South Carolina.

Soon after Pat’s retirement from active duty in 1988, Steve and his family moved to Newtown, Pennsylvania, where he worked in clinical research and training for several small and large pharmaceutical and biotech companies, specializing in bioethics and good clinical practice. He wrote clinical protocols, managed global training efforts in more than 20 countries on six continents, and taught in the Department of Pharmacology & Physiology at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. In 2005 he started Stonebridge GCP Consulting, where he continued training, writing, and teaching until his retirement in 2014.

Steve moved through life with his heart open and his sleeves rolled up. He was a devoted volunteer at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Augusta and God’s Love Lutheran Church in Newtown, serving on the church council, co-leading the youth group, and supporting countless events and volunteer projects, including several meaningful summer programs with the Appalachia Service Project. He also served as an assistant scoutmaster and marching band parent. But his generosity and warmth weren’t limited to roles that fit on a resume. The Steinbrueck house was where all the kids, and many of their parents, hung out. Everyone felt safe on a Steinbrueck couch or at their kitchen table, where you were just as likely to eat Steve’s famous French toast, listen to an episode of “Car Talk,” read your book or do a crossword quietly, or join a raucous game of Trivial Pursuit.

Steve and Pat moved to the mountains of Western North Carolina in 2009, building a house in Sylva and quickly settling into their new community. Steve volunteered with Friends of the Jackson County Public Library, St. David’s Episcopal Church, Meals on Wheels, and the Community Table, eventually becoming Board President at the Community Table and helping to spearhead the Jackson County Public Library Allies. He worked tirelessly until his final weeks to champion libraries as vital centers for knowledge, community connections, and civic responsibility, and to engage as many people as possible in civil, open conversation about censorship and ethical leadership. The Steinbrueck home remained as open and inviting as ever, full of coffee, cocktails, homemade bread, song, games, potlucks, and endless laughter. And despite his considerable travels, Steve’s favorite spot was next to Pat on their screen porch – sipping a cocktail, gazing at the ridgeline, and talking about the day.

Steve is survived by his beloved wife of 52 years, Pat; his daughter Lisa Moussalli and her husband Ali and their children Arlo and Clara of Brevard; his son Scott and his wife Andrea Desimone of Portland, OR; his brothers Gary and his wife Carolyn, and Don and his partner Pat Bartis; his sister Karen Malec and her husband John; and his nieces and nephews Dana, Bryan, Lauren, Lia, Allison, and Andi.

The family is planning a celebration of life for later this summer. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Community Table (communitytable.org) or JCPL Allies (jcplallies.org).