Steven George Downing

Steven George Downing passed away in Sacramento, California, on Tuesday, June 18, 2019, surrounded by his family after a 6-week battle with a lung infection. He was 76. Steve was born in Monrovia to Orten Downing and Mary Jarvis. Later, his family moved to Quincy in Northern California, a small community near Plumas National Forest, which got its start as a Gold Rush town. He attended Quincy High School. Steve made his way to Sacramento, where he attended CSU Sacramento and was a proud member of TKE. He will best be remembered for his dedication and passion as an automotive professional, a career that spanned nearly five decades. For the last 24 years, Steve was the Dealer Principal and General Manager at Yuba City Toyota. He took great pride in being part of the Toyota community and served on various Dealer Councils over the years. He cared deeply about all the employees, staff, and customers at Yuba City Toyota. Prior to his association with Toyota, Steve was the General Manager at Mike Daughtery's Chevy store on Fulton Ave, and before that he worked for the Maita family at their Oldsmobile dealership. Steve loved putting together car deals. He had a warm smile, a firm handshake, and a folksy charm that put people at ease. He wanted customers to enjoy buying a car, and he could relate to people from all walks of life. Even towards the end of his career, Steve could be found personally delivering a car to a customer's home. He loved meeting new people, swapping stories about kids, and talking about his hobbyflying his Beechcraft Bonanza. In his earlier years, he loved hunting, fishing, and spending time on the golf course, despite his lousy short game. He liked a strong martini and a good chat with his friends and colleagues, especially at automotive functions nationwide. On the weekends, he could be found watching his grandkids playing soccer and basketball, lounging by the pool, enjoying family dinners on the back patio, or tinkering on his plane at Sacramento Executive Airport. Steve is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Marina Downing; his three sons, Steve Jr., Billy, and Dean; his daughter Debbie; and their families. He is also survived by his sisters Kathy and Mary Jane. Steve had 7 wonderful grandchildren, whom he adored and bragged about constantly. Steve will be deeply missed by his wife, children, extended family, friends, and colleagues. A Trisagion will be held at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church on Alhambra Blvd. at 7:00 pm, Wednesday, June 26th. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Sacramento Aerospace Museum or the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church.