Steve Gustafson

1941 - 2022

Steve attended The Dalles High School, and earned his BS degree in Business Administration at Portland State University. He had a varied career, which included managing medical clinics and also being a courier which catered to his love of driving.

His patience, positivity, steadiness and outlook on life lent him wisdom when asked for advice. Some of his greatest gifts to his children were teaching them to look for the good in other people, giving others the benefit of the doubt, and acceptance of whatever may come in life. He is kindly remembered for his quick smile, and good nature.

Steve always enjoyed history, in general, and specifically of The Dalles area. Some interests included lighthouses, old farm equipment, the countryside, the Portland Trail Blazers and classic cars. He once owned a 1955 MG TF that was fun to drive and that always drew a lot of curious attention when it needed to be cranked for the engine to start. Glenn Yarbrough was one of his favorite singers. We enjoyed hearing stories about his childhood, and the fun with his siblings, cousins, aunts/uncles, and grandparents who were all important to him. Steve had fond memories of the times he had operated the combine during harvest at his family's wheat ranch in Wamic. He loved the history of the wheat ranches in The Dalles area and knew all the ranchers.

We knew about his 15-month trip with friends by boat to Europe after high school, and about his teaching Conversational English in Madrid. While living there, a frequent and favorite pastime of his was going to The Prado to see an enormous oil painting by Goya that became meaningful to him because it made him think of home. It's a harvest scene titled "The Threshing Ground or Summer" (1786).

Steve and his first wife, Michele (Snyder), had two children, Stephanie (Doney) and Adam. He revered them and his entire family - his mother (Ardis), siblings (Ed, Alice, Marie and Bill), in-laws (Mike, Natalie, Nate, Kathy and Barbara), two grandchildren (Mason and Ashlynn), stepson (David), and many cousins and extended family. Simply mentioning his grandchildren or sharing their photos was a highlight. Their visits meant everything. It was all about family.

Steve passed away peacefully in his sleep on December 29, 2022 at the age of 81. Family gathered in The Dalles on August 13, 2023 for the Celebration of Life in his memory and he was interred at St. Peter's Cemetery in The Dalles, Oregon.