Stephen Liker

Stephen Nicholas Liker, 66, passed away on January 17, 2024.
A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, at Lutheran Church of Hope in Ankeny (520 NW 36th St.) with visitation one hour prior to service time.
Steve was born March 20, 1957, in Zagreb, Croatia. In December of 1959, he and his mom immigrated to Des Moines, Iowa. Steve lived in this area his whole life and graduated from East High School in 1975. Most of his career was spent in the construction industry from building homes to commercial projects.
Steve was a devoted father and grandpa, never missing a game, concert, or recital. He traveled all over the city, state, and country if necessary to support his grandkids. Often, he said, "I have no hobbies because my family, especially the grandkids, is my hobby." Every event for his 7 grandchildren consisted of him cheering them on and slipping them a little cash for an extra special performance.
In 2016, he took the trip of a lifetime back to "the Motherland" of Croatia with his wife, two sons, and cousins to visit his extended family who still live there. The family held a reunion in Zagreb, uniting many loving aunts, uncles, and cousins, some for the first time in decades. He then took a short drive to Sveti Rok, the birthplace and final resting place of his grandparents, to pay tribute to their memory and visit the family farm. Finally, he finished the trip with a relaxing stop at the coastal town of Split, where he walked through the historic city center and took in all the wonderful food Croatia had to offer. When he first arrived in the country, he claimed to his children to be "too rusty" to remember the language. By the end, he was able to fully understand, and even speak to his relatives. He fondly reminisced about the trip afterwards to everyone and anyone he could.
Steve was preceded in death by his mother and father, Emma and John Liker. He is survived by his wife, Bobbi; sons, Nick (Sara) Liker of Urbandale and Mark Liker of Denver; stepson, Brandon (Sarah) Halverson; stepdaughter, Julie Clem (Patrick) of Nevada; grandchildren, Taylor and Toby Linder, Zach and Mallory Halverson, and Jack, Bennett, and Charlie Liker.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to: Animal Rescue League of Iowa Special Olympics Iowa University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital