Steve, 31, died July 25, 1984, in a plane crash at the Willows, California, airport. He was a life-long resident and rancher in the Willows area. He jumped at Redding during the 1975-76 seasons.

Steve was with his brother-in-law when they both died in the crash. They took off in a single engine Piper Club that crashed with extreme force near the south end of the main runway moments after take-off.