Stephen Lon Platter

Stephen Lon Platter lived a marvelous 80 years, 11 months, and 11 days. Steve was born in Lone Pine, California, on December 26th, 1944, and passed peacefully at home in Palm Springs, California, with his wife of 32 years by his side, on December 11th, 2025. He was only called Stephen when he was being a bit naughty. He is more well known by Steve, Dad, Stevie, and his favorite...Popeye. His spirit will forever be alive through his dedicated and loving wife, LaFaye Platter, his son and daughter, Dustin Platter and Shawna Sale, and his beloved five grandchildren, Brodi Sale, Danni Sale, Ellie Platter, Ethan Platter, and Holden Sale. Steve was a man for all seasons, a jack of all trades, and had a strength of character that knew no bounds. He may have also had some feline blood in him based on the many adventures, experiences, and professions that he had in his life - he truly had so many lives within the one that he was given, maybe more than nine.
He grew up on a farm in Independence, California with his brother Bud Platter, and parents Violet Platter and Byron Platter. During his high school years his family moved permanently to Monterey, California. After high school, he served as an Officer in the Army during the Vietnam War. After serving in the military, he graduated UC Santa Cruz with a degree in American Literature, and then promptly became a deputy in the Monterey County Sheriff's department. One of his patrol routes included a stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway through Big Sur, one of the many majestic wonders of nature that he held close to his heart for his entire life. Steve was a deeply spiritual man, who found contentment and grounding in all that he beheld in his awe of nature and the great outdoors.
In 1978, after marriage, a Pacific Grove home remodel, and the birth of 2 children, he left the central coast with his young family and moved to Victorville, CA, to pursue a career in real estate and development. He immediately fell head over heels in love with the desert, and for him, other climates didn't hold a candle to the desert solitaire. He remained in the high desert of Victorville for 16 years, riding the waves of life with his head held high through divorce, the many ups and downs of the real estate market, striving to be the best single father he could be, a huge career change, and finding true love.
In the early 1990's, Steve realized his true calling; teaching and serving his community. He earned his elementary teaching credential and professed that 4th grade was his favorite. Thank goodness for this choice, because it was in the teachers' break room where he first laid eyes on the love of his life, LaFaye McFarland, a then substitute teacher who would eventually retire as a Deputy Superintendent. He was immediately smitten with Faye, and even though Stephen was a little evasive about the truth of his age at first, Faye fell deeply in love with him, his pets and both of his children from the start and never looked back. They were engaged within the year and moved to dad's real dream desert climate - Palm Springs- and they had a beautiful and intimate ceremony in the backyard of their new home attended by close family and friends.
Steve quickly realized that he had a gift and passion for working with children who have special needs. He branched out in his career and became a high needs special education teacher. His classroom was like his home - every last square foot of it was curated to create a comfortable space that felt like home (just like he did in every home he lived in). He purchased couches, comfortable chairs, real bookshelves, art, and more. They even had a little store where they could purchase items with "Platter Bucks" (If you know you know!). He had a special place in his heart for humans that had a bit more of a struggle than others. He simply made their lives and their families' lives better.
After teaching high needs Special Education for many years and serving as the Vice President of the Teacher's Association for his school district, Steve branched out again in his career in education. He continued with SPED but moved into a sector where he saw a great need in the community. He began teaching at a juvenile male detention center. This was his final and culminating position in education before he retired. Steve not only helped educate troubled youth so they could graduate while in the detention center but helped course correct many young lives. He gave them the hope that they could change, he taught them they could forgive and be forgiven, he motivated them to work hard and to love learning, and he gave many a second chance just by believing in them.
Steve was many things in his professional life, but he was most proud of his twenty-year multi-faceted career in education, where he never waned in serving the youth who needed him the most, who he affectionately called "the little people." Steve was a true Renaissance man, so the idea of retirement didn't compute. After retiring from
education, Steve knew there were a few more professional lives to live... he educated himself on the stock market and became a savvy investor over time, he ran a successful boat and ATV rental business in Lake Havasu before selling it, he served his homeowner's association, and supported Faye in her retirement from the district while pursuing her further education and beginning her consulting career.
While Steve was a feline in his professional ventures, he only led one personal life, and that is what mattered most to him. He was a single dad for 12 years of his parenting life, whose main focus was always on his son and daughter. He was a true chef in the kitchen and in the complex world of parenting.
Dad will be survived by his children, Dustin (51) and Shawna (48). He always tried to raise his kids with just the right mixture of ingredients to create a masterpiece, and to him, his children were nothing short of masterpieces. He was a loving and devoted parent to his last breath. He strived to have the right mixture of pride, love, expectations, empathy, genuine connection, reverence, discipline, transparency, tough love, and humility. Most importantly, he was humble through all the ups and downs of parenting, often apologizing for any shortcomings, always willing to compromise, and forever pushing to have real conversations to repair and maintain what he had created. He had nothing but true unconditional love and admiration for Dustin and Shawna. He raised two "little people" to believe they are more than capable of changing the world, passed on his grit to persevere through anything, and instilled in them that they should always fight to be the best version of themselves.
Popeye will be survived by his grandchildren. He showed the same love and dedication to each of his grandchildren that he showed to his children. He took the time to cultivate unique and individual relationships with each of his grandchildren. This is their first loss of a close family member, and all five are grieving deeply. It would break his heart to see them grieving like they are, but it is reassuring to all of us that they had such a strong relationship, knew him so well, and felt so close to him. Their strong connection to him is a testament that his character and spirit WILL live on.
Steve will be survived by his adored cats and dogs, Tucker, Elliotte, Timothy, and Ash. Steve had a deep affection and love for animals and had many adored pets in his adult life. Being an avid animal lover, dad's pets, who he cared for like his children, went everywhere with him (mostly). We hope right now that he is petting his cats and dogs who he lost over the years: Cholla, Midnight, Beau, Ebony, Poco, Nutmeg, Ru, and precious Sam.
Last, but certainly not least, Steve will be survived by his loving wife Faye, or Pixie, as he often referred to her. They had a deep love and respect for one another that will last for eternity and is an example to all. They have been lovers and partners in the truest sense.
Steve always kept himself in tip top shape. He had a major sweet tooth, but for the most part was always a healthy eater. He was an avid hiker, runner, biker, basketball and tennis player, camper, and overall adventurer. Faye met him in his prime, and as he would say so himself with a bit of a wink and dash of shiny laughter in his eyes, he was a "good lookin' man."
Steve and Faye manifested and brought to life many travel dreams, adventures, and business ventures together. Together, they realized Steve's lifelong dream of having a second home - an off-grid ranch on many acres of land in the middle of nowhere in the... yep, you guessed it, the desert! Bit by bit, Steve and Faye transformed a raw piece of beautiful high desert land in Arizona into a grand off-grid oasis complete with 3 burros (Lady, Echo, and Hugo), 4 nigerian dwarf goats (Daffodil, Caramel, Oreo, and Marble), several chickens, an orchard, ATVs for the grandkids to have fun on, boulder formations for the grandkids to play cops and robbers in, a shooting range, the best darn outhouses you've ever seen, and plenty of room for the whole family. The Ranch was an ongoing passion project for Steve and Faye, and home away from
home. They have been making improvements and fine tuning everything on the ranch to this day. Steve named the ranch WITL Retreat (Walk In The Light Retreat). He wanted it to be a place where people walked in the light of God's magnificent grace and beauty.
Ten years ago, Steve was diagnosed with cancer, and he and Faye walked that journey together. Even though the medications that kept him alive had the side effects of extreme fatigue, true to his determination to thrive, Steve lived his best life every day with Faye walking beside him every step along the way. Thanks to his tenacious resiliency and Faye's unyielding, persistent, positive, supportive, and protective generous spirit, Steve lived the fullest life he could possibly live until his very last breath.
Steve died unexpectedly on the afternoon of December 11, 2025, very peacefully without suffering, and Faye was right next to him. He was not alone and the last thing he saw was his cherished wife.
We all thought he had more time, and quite frankly, he more than deserved that time. In the end, it wasn't the cancer that won, and honestly, Steve would have loved that! His huge heart filled with so much love is what failed his body, but it is the same immense and grand heart that will champion his spirit for generations to come. He was so loved, and to truly know him was to love him.