Steven Taylor Orchard

Steve Orchard, beloved father, brother, and friend, passed away March 25, 2025, leaving behind a life rich with love, laughter, and adventure.

Born on March 9, 1964, in Bryan, Texas, Steve grew up with a deep love for the outdoors and a natural talent for sports. He graduated from A.C. Jones High School in 1982, where he excelled in football and baseball. In 2011, along with his 1982 A.C. Jones football team, Steve was proudly inducted into the Beeville Sports Hall of Fame.

In 1988, Steve went on to study Marine Science and Chemistry at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, combining his passion for nature with his keen intellect. For 17 years, he served as a Vegetation Manager for the Texas Department of Transportation, where his work and dedication left a lasting impact on the landscapes of South Texas. He married Robin Ray on July 2, 1994, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

A true outdoorsman, Steve found joy in catching big trout and redfish in Baffin Bay and hunting in Brooks County, where he shared countless memories with his father and brother, Keith, and friends Dru Arthur and Ernie Ramon. Whether spotting moose, bear, and buffalo in Jackson Hole and Yellowstone or spending a month in the rugged outback of Australia, Steve never passed up the chance to explore the natural world.

He felt most comfortable at home in his own backyard, tending to his garden full of tomatoes and okra, or helping his daughter Sydney raise rabbits and can vegetables for the Nueces County Junior Livestock Show. His greatest pride was celebrating Sydney’s accomplishments, especially during a graduation celebratory visit to New York City — one highlight being when they watched the Astros take on the Yankees in Yankee Stadium.

Steve’s happiest days were spent surrounded by family, cooking a pot of beans, grilling something good, and cheering on the Dallas Cowboys with Robin and Sydney by his side. His warmth, humor, and generous spirit will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

He leaves behind a legacy of strength, kindness, and a deep appreciation for life’s simple pleasures. He will be remembered always for the way he lived — with heart, grit, and a love for the people and places that meant the most to him.

Steve was preceded in death by his mother, Janet (Taylor) Bowman; grandparents, Wilbur Taylor and Evie Dean (Glasson) Taylor; grandfather, Malcom Orchard; and grandmother, Virginia (Howard) Trlica.

Survivors include his loving daughter, Sydney Orchard; the love of his life, Robin Orchard; his father, Dr. John H. Orchard; his brother, Keith Orchard and his wife, Abi (Blackmon); nieces, Taylor Orchard and Meridith Orchard; brother-in-law, Clint (Lisa) Ray; nephew, Carson Ray; niece, Lauren Ray; aunt, Kathy (Richard) Young; and cousins, Lindsay Young, Kevin (Raegan) Young and their children and Wes Compton.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at Galloway & Sons Funeral Home in Beeville with Rev. Andrew Green officiating.

Honorary pallbearers will be Keith Orchard, Clint Ray, Carson Ray, Dru Arthur, Reggie Elder, Dan Hoffman, Mike Huckman, Ernie Ramon and Kevin Young.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Beeville Education Foundation.