Stephen J. Bittikofer

With the deepest sorrow, we announce that Stephen J. Bittikofer, age 29, passed away on Saturday, March 2, 2019, in the hospital surrounded by the loving and comforting embrace of his family. He was the beloved son of Michael and Michele (nee Williamson); cherished brother of Nicole Elias (Jose) and adored uncle of Devin; nephew, cousin and friend to many. We know Stephen is now with his grandparents Robert Sr. and Barbara Bittikofer, Charles and Marian Williamson, and cousin Anthony Morabith and is loved here on earth as well as in Heaven. Stephen was born on February 11th, 1990 in Cleveland, Ohio and was raised for most of his childhood in the city of Brook Park, Ohio. Stephen graduated from Lakewood High School in 2009 and worked at Danny Boys in North Olmsted. He was loved by his coworkers; some of whom became close friends. They appreciated that he was a great leader, respectful, kind, and appreciative for the little things they did, never letting them go unnoticed. He was a hard worker who went out of his way to always be nice and greet people by their name. While working, he loved to drink iced tea….with four lemons. He was a good and loyal man who enjoyed the simple everyday things, spending time with his family and friends, good food, movies, fishing, and his beloved dog Kody, who he can now be with again. If you knew him well or barely at all, he made you smile and feel special. He had an amazing long-term memory and loved to tell descriptive, funny stories. He made the people around him happy with his loveable laugh, and engaged and intrigued by his unique choice of words that became infectious among family and friends. If you were one of the lucky ones, he made you feel extra special by giving you your very own endearing but jive nick name. He will continue to stay with us all, through memories, and the laughs he forced us all to have, whether we were in the mood for it or not. Now, he is at peace, free from the pain and suffering, but we will never be the same again and will continue to hurt. We will see him everywhere, whether it is in the salt on the kitchen table (that his food always had to be smothered in), some fresh new Nike athletic shoes (that his feet always had to be walking in), or a glass of iced tea…..but we will drink it with four lemons ….for Steve. We love you soo much my sweet little brother. You were taken from us way too soon. You will be truly missed by soo many. His parents would like you to visit his GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/stephenbittikoferfuneralfund and share your memories of him. Your stories are truly priceless. Please join us for a Memorial visitation Sunday, March 10, 2019 (daylight savings time) from 1-3pm, with a 3pm-4pm Celebration of Life service to honor Stephen's life. Both visitation and service will be held at Busch Funeral Home, 21369 Center Ridge Road, Fairview Park. 440-333-9774 Visitation and Service Details 1-3pm Memorial Visitation Come to visit with family and friends, and pay condolences if you wish. Stephen will be with us in his urn and in spirit, cremated, no casket. We will be looking at pictures & memorabilia, special chosen music playlist will be on, coffee/cookies/finger food. 3pm-4pm Stephens Celebration of Life Service The minister/life celebrant will be speaking, and some of his friends and family will also be coming up to speak to honor his life and his memory. There is no actual set end time, about an hour.