Stephen Riha

Stephen "Steve" Riha, age 81 and a proud veteran of the U.S. Army, passed away peacefully Friday, April 5, 2024, in Salisbury, Maryland.
He was preceded in death by his parents Stephen Riha and Delores (Fisher) Riha; his siblings, Millie Sellers, Delores Lasek, Joseph Riha, and Wayne Riha.
Survivors include his sister Marlene Baseman; his children, Mike Riha (Magi Rose) and Stephana Rae Riha; Grandchildren, Katie(Matthew); Miranda(Daijah); Mikayla(Devin); Marcus, Deondre, and Ava; and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.
Steve grew up in Brooklyn Park, a suburb of Baltimore, Maryland. He was born January 21, 1943.
At the age of 21, Steve was drafted into the U.S. Army. He trained at Ft. Gordon and served in Vietnam as PFC with the 557th MP Company until his honorable discharge in 1966. Steve received the Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and National Defense Service Medal.
After he was discharged, Steve worked as a correctional officer at Jessup; and went to night school at the University of Maryland to study photography. Later, as a skilled tradesman, he built homes as well as one for his family in Arden on the Severn. He also worked as a photographer for the Jaycees, and as a still photographer in marketing for Baltimore theaters and had his own business as a wedding and portrait photographer. Steve spent most of his working life as a Maryland Transportation Authority Police Officer, working at the Harbor Tunnel, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, and the Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge (Dahlgren, VA) where he retired as a Sergeant in 2000.
Steve was a voracious reader, loved science fiction and history. He loved ballroom dancing and was a well-respected award-winning 9-ball shootist, winning trips to Las Vegas and 9-ball league tournaments. He was an avid angler and boat captain on the Potomac. Steve loved taking people out on the water and he loved taking people fishing. He was a crab connoisseur and probably ate more Old Bay Seasoning than anyone.
Steve was a generous people-loving person; easy to be around and self-deprecating. "It's a Riha thing" he would always say. He liked helping people anonymously. He belonged to a group of Captains who regularly took Wounded Warrior veterans out on the water.
A service celebrating the life of Stephen Riha will be held at the Salisbury VFW at 821 E. William St; Salisbury, MD on May 4th, 2024, at 1pm.
The family wishes to express their gratitude to (the hospital, nurses, other people) who helped the family and Steve with this final part of his life. In Lieu of flowers, please honor him by donating to the VFW Post 194; 821 E. William St; Salisbury, MD 21804.