Stephen (Steve) Gerard Test passed away peacefully in his home in Virginia Beach on January 16, 2026. He is now at rest and free from the imprisonment of Parkinson's Disease and dementia.
Steve was born on March 22, 1951 in Arlington, Virginia, to the late Robert John and Isabelle DeBellfeuille Test. After graduating law school, he relocated to Virginia Beach, where he eventually met and married his best friend and love of his life, Maggie Schacht. He was a devoted father, step-father, son, brother, husband, uncle, grandfather, mentor and friend. His quiet demeanor often led people to believe he was too serious. But to those who knew him best, he was funny, adventurous, kind, compassionate, a little quirky and a lot of fun. He was a talented and respected lawyer, who received numerous awards and accolades during his career.
Steve received his law degree from George Mason University School of Law in 1979. He served as Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney in Virginia Beach, where he prosecuted and obtained convictions in several high-profile capital murder cases. In 1987, as a trial attorney, he joined Clark & Stant, P.C., which later merged with Williams Mullen. His focus was on construction and business litigation. After retiring from Williams Mullen in 2018, he immediately went to work as in-house counsel for his long-time client, Hourigan Construction Company, before permanently retiring in 2020.
Steve was: recognized by The Best Lawyers in America; named Best Lawyers Norfolk Litigation - Construction Lawyer of the Year, and Best Lawyers Norfolk Litigation - Real Estate Lawyer of the Year; recognized by Virginia Business Magazine as one of the Legal Elite; named a Super Lawyer for Business Litigation by Virginia Super Lawyers Magazine, which also named him as a Top 100 Lawyer in Virginia; and he was given an AV attorney rating, the highest rating available by Martindale-Hubble.
He practiced before the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia.
He was a board member of the Construction Litigation Section of the Virginia State Bar, chair of the Second District Ethics Committee of the Virginia State Bar Disciplinary System, member of the Virginia State Bar Committee on Lawyer Discipline and elected representative of the Virginia State Bar Council, and in 2016, he was inducted as a Fellow into the American College of Trial Lawyers.
Steve was very active in the community, serving on the boards of the Contemporary Arts Center of Virginia, the Virginia Stage Company, the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. In 2015, the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival awarded him the John J. Kruger Award for outstanding service to the Festival and the community.
He is survived by brothers, Jay Test (Jan) and William Test, and sister, Nickie Myers (Bucky). Left to cherish his memory is his wife of 28 years, Maggie, his son, Tommy Test (Amber), daughter, Christina O'Connor, step-son, Danny Schacht (Jamie), step-son, Eric Schacht, five grandchildren, Delaney, Christian, Kerrigan, Curren and Lia, and his loyal German Shepherd, Lola.
Plans for a Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to The Parkinson's Foundation, the Alzheimer's Association or any charity of your choosing.
Steve was born on March 22, 1951 in Arlington, Virginia, to the late Robert John and Isabelle DeBellfeuille Test. After graduating law school, he relocated to Virginia Beach, where he eventually met and married his best friend and love of his life, Maggie Schacht. He was a devoted father, step-father, son, brother, husband, uncle, grandfather, mentor and friend. His quiet demeanor often led people to believe he was too serious. But to those who knew him best, he was funny, adventurous, kind, compassionate, a little quirky and a lot of fun. He was a talented and respected lawyer, who received numerous awards and accolades during his career.
Steve received his law degree from George Mason University School of Law in 1979. He served as Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney in Virginia Beach, where he prosecuted and obtained convictions in several high-profile capital murder cases. In 1987, as a trial attorney, he joined Clark & Stant, P.C., which later merged with Williams Mullen. His focus was on construction and business litigation. After retiring from Williams Mullen in 2018, he immediately went to work as in-house counsel for his long-time client, Hourigan Construction Company, before permanently retiring in 2020.
Steve was: recognized by The Best Lawyers in America; named Best Lawyers Norfolk Litigation - Construction Lawyer of the Year, and Best Lawyers Norfolk Litigation - Real Estate Lawyer of the Year; recognized by Virginia Business Magazine as one of the Legal Elite; named a Super Lawyer for Business Litigation by Virginia Super Lawyers Magazine, which also named him as a Top 100 Lawyer in Virginia; and he was given an AV attorney rating, the highest rating available by Martindale-Hubble.
He practiced before the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia.
He was a board member of the Construction Litigation Section of the Virginia State Bar, chair of the Second District Ethics Committee of the Virginia State Bar Disciplinary System, member of the Virginia State Bar Committee on Lawyer Discipline and elected representative of the Virginia State Bar Council, and in 2016, he was inducted as a Fellow into the American College of Trial Lawyers.
Steve was very active in the community, serving on the boards of the Contemporary Arts Center of Virginia, the Virginia Stage Company, the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. In 2015, the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival awarded him the John J. Kruger Award for outstanding service to the Festival and the community.
He is survived by brothers, Jay Test (Jan) and William Test, and sister, Nickie Myers (Bucky). Left to cherish his memory is his wife of 28 years, Maggie, his son, Tommy Test (Amber), daughter, Christina O'Connor, step-son, Danny Schacht (Jamie), step-son, Eric Schacht, five grandchildren, Delaney, Christian, Kerrigan, Curren and Lia, and his loyal German Shepherd, Lola.
Plans for a Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to The Parkinson's Foundation, the Alzheimer's Association or any charity of your choosing.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Stephen G Test, please visit our flower store.
Consider a donation, as requested by the family.
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