Steffan McBee

Staff Sergeant Steffan McBee, 37, of Tacoma, Washington, a proud member of the Washington National Guard, husband, father, Asatru pagan, and passionate gamer, passed away on July 16, 2025, called to the hall of the All Father. He will be remembered for his dedication to both country and community, and for the joy he found in playing Warhammer 40K and D&D that he found with his family and friends.
Born in Wurzburg, Germany in 1988 to two active duty Army parents, Steffan was the son of Johnny McBee and Crystal (Randy) Scott. From a young age Steffan loved adventure, reading, and high fantasy, as well as felt the call to serve as his parents did, qualities that would define both his military career and his gaming pursuits.
After graduating from Eisenhower High School in Lawton, OK, where he balanced sports with JROTC and adventures int the SCA, Steffan enlisted in the Army and later served in the National Guards of Missouri and Washington. As the 7th generation of his family to serve his country, Steffan rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant and completed 2 combat tours in Afghanistan. He also used his Arabic language skills during subsequent deployments to Kuwait and Qatar.
Beyond the battlefield, Steffan found camaraderie, escape, and a creative outlet in table top and role-playing games, and it is also how he met his wife, Kelly. He was a dedicated Warhammer 40K player and enjoyed playing Dungeons and Dragons with his family and friends. Steffan enjoyed the tactical challenge of fielding his Grey Knights and creating new adventures as a Game Master for those who gathered around his table. This passion, along with motorcycle riding, singing karaoke with Kelly, and growing his 3D printing business, Son of Odin Printing, often served as a way to de-stress and stay connected with friends and family, even during times away and deployments.
Steffan's call to serve was not limited to the military, but also as a volunteer leader for his children's cub scout troop, the Amocat 4H club, co-leader of South Sound Karaoke, cat rescuer, and dedicated band dad. An Asatru pagan, Steffan also served as a designated faith group leader on his various deployments. he was always there to lend a hand to support his friends and those in need, both two- and four-footed.
Steffan was the Game Master for his family adventuring party, the McBee Hive, which included his wife, Kelly Richardson-McBee, children Skadi "Cooper" and Freya, and Kelly's son, Eirik Richardson, family friend, Aiden Schwarz-Quenzer, and their gala of tuxedo cats. Steffan was cherished by his parents, Crystal and Randy Scott, and his father, Johnny McBee; as well as his siblings, Ashli McBee (Chris Blum), Tomy Pietrantonio, Megan Loughan, and Jaci McBee. He will be remembered by many friends in the gaming and karaoke communities, as well as those he served with in various military units throughout the years in Washington, Kansas, and Missouri.
We encourage all who knew, loved, sang, and threw dice with Steffan to share their memories on the memorial page. Your stories and photographs will serve as a testament to Steffan's life and the impact he had on all of us.
Lo, there do I see my father.
Lo, there do I see my mother and my sisters and my brothers.
Lo, there do i see the line of my people, back to the beginning.
Lo, they do call to me.
They bid me take my place among them,
In the halls of Valhalla,
Where the brave may live forever.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Steffan's name to the Til Valhalla Project.