Stephen D. Shortridge

1952 - 2016

STEPHEN D. SHORTRIDGE

March 6, 2016

Stephen D. Shortridge, 63, of Ft. Myers, FL, passed away quickly and peacefully on Sunday, March 6th, ending his 10-month battle with bile duct cancer. Steve was born on July 24, 1952 in Indianapolis to the late Norman H. Shortridge, Jr. and Anne C. Shortridge. He attended St. Luke Catholic School and graduated from Brebeuf Preparatory School in 1970. He went on to attend Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN and graduated with a business degree from the Krannert School of Industrial Management in 1974. While at Purdue he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.

Steve decided early on that the business world was not his future. After graduating Purdue, Steve moved back to Indianapolis and threw himself into becoming a teaching tennis pro, working on the north side at the Indianapolis Racquet Club and with Barbara Wynne at the National Junior Tennis League. But Steve also wanted to play competitively at a professional level, and that path required year-round warm weather and a consistent tournament schedule. The 1978 blizzard in Indianapolis tipped the scale for Steve and he made the move to Florida.

In 1987 Steve married Lynn Williams of Ft. Myers and they had two wonderful children, Stephen D. Shortridge II (Ridge) and Summer Nicole. Steve and Lynn raised their kids in Ft. Myers, and over the years they attended annual family reunions at Palisades Park in Michigan and at Lake Blue Resort in Lake Placid, FL, connecting with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Steve had a love and a passion for tennis. From 1974 until he died, Steve thrived at teaching, coaching, and playing. He was a born teacher, with a patient demeanor, encouraging attitude, and a kind heart. His teaching career in the Ft. Myers area included the Cape Coral Country Club, The Landings Racquet Club in Ft. Myers, The City of Ft. Myers Racquet Club, and the Sundial Beach Resort on Sanibel Island. For several years, he co-owned the Oasis Tennis Club in Ft. Myers with his business partner Lanny Kalpin. In 2006 he joined the Colonial Country Club in Ft. Myers as assistant club pro, where he had a loyal following of friends and students, and where he continued to compete and win tournaments around Florida. In 2011 Steve earned a national ranking of #1 in Men's 55 Singles from the United States Professional Tennis Association. Steve will be remembered for touching so many people of all ages over his 40 years of tennis, while also competing professionally at a high level.

Steve was preceded in death by his father, Norman H. Shortridge, Jr. and by his uncle Douglass R. Shortridge. He is survived by his wife Lynn, children Ridge and Summer, mother Anne C. Schwartz, and siblings Tom, Liz, and Mike. He is also survived by his mother-in-law Ann Stevenson and brother-in-law Dr. Todd Williams, as well as many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and close friends. The family would like to thank all the caring people at the Colonial Country Club and the entire tennis community that supported him with all their love and gifts, and another thank you to Steve's Ft. Myers and Indianapolis friends who visited and comforted Steve during his illness.

There will be a celebration of Steve's life at the Colonial Country Club in Ft. Myers on Saturday, April 16th, from 4-7 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Steve's favorite charity, Smile Train at www.smiletrain.org or the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org/GiveNow. Friends may sign the guestbook at www.horizonfunerals.com.