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Obituary and life story submitted by the family

T

he Steiger family is saddened to announce the passing of Daniel Ralph Steiger on Sunday, April 17th, 2022 at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, NC. He was 81 years old.

He is survived by his wife, Pamela Ann Steiger, of 39 years; their four children, Joshua (Jennifer) Steiger, Gabriel (Gabriella) Steiger, Gretchen Steiger, and Sarah Steiger; three children from a previous marriage, Andrew Steiger, Shauna Steiger, and Daniel (Rachel) Steiger; three stepchildren, Liorah Steiger, Benjamin (Mia) Steiger, and Emily Thomas; 17 grandchildren; and his brother John Hamilton Steiger of Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Dan Steiger in 1959.

Dan was born September 2nd, 1940 in Middletown, Ohio. In 1954 his family moved to Wellesley, Massachusetts, where he graduated from Wellesley High School in 1959. Immediately following high school, Dan joined the Coast Guard, before attending Babson College and Arizona State University.

Those that had any extended conversation with Dan knew one of his greatest pastimes in his life was flying. Dan earned a commercial pilot’s license from American Flyers Flight School in Ardmore, Oklahoma, where he was top of his class. He held many career positions as a pilot from commercial airlines to the US Postal Service. Later in life, he continued flying as a hobby, even building an ultralight airplane out of his home garage.

Dan and his family.

Dan had an extensive knowledge of many trades, as he held both a Journeyman’s Electrician and Mechanic license. Rarely would you see a serviceman of any type at his home, as he performed almost all repairs, updates, and projects himself. As a result, the phrases “hold the flashlight” and “pass me that screwdriver” can be a little triggering for his now-adult children, but at least they know their socket sizes. Dan instilled the significant value of hard work and problem-solving skills in his children, along with a few tricks to work smarter in the process.

Aside from his technical knowledge, Dan could offer up some insightful tidbits to just about any topic you could come up with. He knew countless facts about all things related to World War II, was able to name vintage vehicles by year and model just by looking at the headlights, could recount the storyline of every Seinfeld episode ever aired, as well as an unlimited amount of random facts, tips, and know-hows he accumulated throughout his life. To put it in simplest terms, Dan really was a know-it-all, but in the most positive way you could be one.

Dan and his wife Pamela.

Dan lived a very full life, having led an assortment of careers from owning a printing press in Ohio, being a lobsterman in Cape Cod, to a diesel mechanic for Cummins, along with many other interesting jobs between. In 2003, Dan retired from Consolidated Diesel Company in Rocky Mount, NC. He decided to celebrate his retirement with the purchase of a sailboat.

This brought him to Oriental, where his beloved Hunter 30 was located, named Compadre. With young kids still at home, his wife was adamant she wasn’t spending every weekend in competition with a sailboat, so the entire family soon relocated to Pamlico County. Here is where he resided for 18 years, before relocating last year with his wife to Greenville, NC, closer to one of their sons.

While in Oriental, Dan worked part time as the Dockmaster at Whittaker Creek Marina for several years, and as a handyman for locals and multiple real estate agencies in town. He enjoyed getting coffee at The Bean with his dogs, Duke and Turbo, dollar draft nights and pizza at The Silos, and numerous live music concerts at the Tiki Bar. Spring and summer days were filled with sailing trips, both solo and with family and friends.

Three Steiger Generations.

Over the last ten years, Dan began to struggle with mobility and memory. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, which significantly impacted his active lifestyle. To no one’s surprise, Dan pushed on to continue the things he enjoyed until he absolutely could no longer. However, he still found joy in the simple things like watching The History Channel with his dog, eating ice cream, and most of all, simple daily activities with his wife. While there is no doubt that Dan was happy, satisfied, and proud of the full life he lived, his family is confident he would have continued on to do more for another twenty years, if able. Should that be a lesson to others to carry on the things you enjoy most with the people you enjoy most for as long as possible.

A very intimate, private memorial was held in Dan’s honor on Saturday, April 23rd, 2022. Condolences can be mailed to Dan’s wife, Ann, at 2053 Randolph Ct., Greenville, NC 27858. Should any feel inclined, donations can be made in Dan’s honor to a Parkinson’s Disease research foundation, such as the Parkinson’s Foundation or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

Posted Monday May 2, 2022 by Allison DeWeese