Surrounded by the love of his family, Norm Stepan passed away on June 21, 2021, at age 86, after a life of accomplishment and adventure. He will be sadly missed by Rose, his loving wife of 63 years; his children Colleen (Jim) and their children Sydney (Stu), Tori, and Bret (Marc); Cathy (Gord) and their children Steve (Tricia), Erin (Justin), and Kevin (Ali); Jeff (Sandy) and their children Taylor (Mark), and their children Owen and Ellie, Jordan (Tessa), and Elyssa; Corrie (Barney); and Cheryl (Keith), and their children Mackenzie, Hannah, and Nola. Norm is survived by his sisters Mary and Theresa (Ed), and his brother Ed.
Family was everything to Norm and Norm was everything to his family, who will forever love and miss him and are grateful for his talents, wisdom, humour, and generosity. Norm led by example, looking to celebrate family birthdays, graduations, weddings, and on Fridays, happy hour. He loved to play board games on Sundays and rainy days, and card games (he was a whiz at Bridge) with family and friends. He made the most of vacation time with camping trips, travel to adventure parks and sunny climates, and trips overseas to visit family.
Norm attended Regina College, where he played for the college basketball team, and the University of Saskatchewan, where he earned his Bachelor of Commerce degree. He went on to become a Chartered Accountant. His career at SaskTel spanned three decades and many areas of the corporation, including finance and marketing, reflecting his diverse talents. Norm gave freely of his skills, volunteering for the first ever church council at Christ the King Parish, and helping manage the books for charities and sports organizations. He coached, umped, applauded, and cheered for his children and grandchildren at gyms, rinks, auditoriums, and fields. An accomplished ball player, Norm played many sports himself. He golfed, curled, skied and kept active, walking every day, greeting the people he befriended in the neighbourhood.
Norm was a handyman, tackling home repair with enthusiasm and ingenuity, never letting perfection stand in the way of getting the job done. With the help of family and friends, he constructed a cottage at Katepwa Lake that stands proud as a gathering place for his growing family. He loved spending summers at Katepwa, sailing, golfing, fishing, enjoying a rum or ice cream with family or playing with his 12 grandkids. In the winter, he would round up the family for ski trips to the mountains and generously took his entire family to Maui, not once, but twice, where he enjoyed boogie boarding as much as his grandchildren. His love of carpentry, the cottage, and of downhill skiing – like so many of his other passions – have been passed along to his kids and will form part of his loving legacy.
Despite being a Type 1 diabetic, Norm never complained about medical challenges, taking every burden in stride. He was strong and fiercely independent until the end, opening the cottage this spring, helping family with construction projects, and golfing with his kids as recently as last summer.
Special thanks to Dr. Morris and the compassionate caregivers at the Pasqua Hospital, the Regina General Hospital, and Grace Hospice. In lieu of flowers, donations to JDRF Canada are appreciated: www.jdrf.ca
A Private Family Funeral Mass will be held.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Norman Stepan June 21st 2021..
Death notice for the town of: Regina, Province: Saskatchewan
Rest In Peace Uncle Norm. Our deepest condolences Aunt Rose and entire family.
Uncle Norm was so helpful to our family in many way and will be truly missed by all.
John and Susan Waeyen.