Steven William Driscoll

In the early Sunday morning hours of February 23rd 2025, Steven William Driscoll passed away peacefully while resting sweetly held in the arms of his beloved wife and with loving family at his bedside.

Born on August 20th 1964 to Barbara Mary and William Bernard Driscoll, Steve was the youngest of six children. He was blessed with a precious loving family, wonderful parents and two dear brothers and three dear sisters, each of whom he loved so very much.

Steve spent his elementary school years growing up in Saratoga where he was a gifted swim team athlete from a very young age. That fearless love of the water evolved from the swimming pools of his youth to surfing the wide-open ocean and waves of Sand Dollar Beach where he moved with his family when he was twelve. Steve was an excellent student and graduated from Watsonville High School with his class of 1982, earned an Associate's Degree from Cabrillo College, and was a graduate of the Santa Cruz Fire Academy before working several years serving the community as an emergency medical technician and firefighter in south county.

It was while working his way through the academy and college that, as a camp counselor and waterfront director at a mountain summer camp along the central coast, Steven met the eternal love of his life and future wife, Janean Christine Mariani. Though neither could have possibly known at the time just where their bonds of true friendship, deep conversations, witty senses of humor and goofy laughter would lead them; those unbreakable bonds blossomed into eternal love, the marriage of two best friends, and a precious life story filled with thirty-eight sacred years together navigating every possible gift of shadow and light imaginable…always emerging ever stronger, ever more beautiful, unfathomably more in love and inseparably closer than ever before.

Steven was a true renaissance man. He was an accomplished gardener and landscaper, and loved tenderly caring for his many flowers and plants that brought so much color and joy and beauty to their home, inside and out. He loved sharing his bounty of bouquets and vegetables with family and friends. Steven was an exquisite cook and baker, making his own charcuterie meats and cheeses, fine artisan sourdough breads, and was able to replicate even the most complicated of recipes and finest cuisine in their little home kitchen. And he was a far better sketch artist and writer than he ever gave himself credit for. Steven loved riding their Peloton at home and mountain biking outdoors; he especially loved his ride to celebrate his birthday each year, riding from their favorite home-base neighborhood in the Marina District of San Francisco, over the Golden Gate Bridge, up Hawk Hill, down the Marin side of the mountain and looping through Sausalito before returning over the bridge to the Marina again. He was an incredibly advanced snorkeler and loved exploring the tropical reefs of Lanai and Kauai and Maui with Janean each year. He aced his Federal Aviation Administration exam to become a drone pilot, which he absolutely loved to do; he cherished early morning sunrise flights and photography.

Flying drones, piloting airboats, and driving amphibious vehicles were among the responsibilities Steve enjoyed most throughout his professional career as a Vector Control Specialist for the County Of Santa Cruz. Steve served our community for nearly nineteen years and on March 12th 2024 was honored to receive the Santa Cruz County Employee Of The Year award under the Agricultural Commissioner's Office for his above-and-beyond service and exceptional work ethic.

Above all else, far surpassing his amazing abilities and accomplishments, Steven will be remembered for his precious heart. Steven is the most loving sweet tender strong kind gentle man to ever walk this earth. He loved his family so very much and treasured get-togethers and vacations with his brothers and sisters. Whether it was a holiday gathering or the simple joys of day-to-day life, Steven had a rare gift of allowing each person in his presence to feel seen and heard and special. He led with a soul of kindness, always putting others above himself and always helping those in need out of the goodness of his precious heart, never wanting or expecting anything in return. Steven touched the hearts and lives of everyone who knew him, and this world is a far better place because he was in it.

Steve is survived by his wonderful siblings: Michael (Tamara) Driscoll of Watsonville; Margaret Driscoll of Twain Harte; Kathleen Driscoll of Bellingham, Washington; Theresa Driscoll of Bartlett, Illinois; and Thomas (Marianne) Driscoll of Eugene, Oregon; his mother-in-law Carol Preston and father-in-law Ronald Mariani; sister-in-law Melanie (Eric) Navarro, and many dear nephews and nieces. Steven is also survived by his beloved wife Janean, and he was preceded in death by their daughter Christine Eve Driscoll, and by his parents.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice Of Santa Cruz County or to the Glioblastoma Foundation.