Obituary of Roger Conant Steel

Roger Steel passed away on October 5^th, 2021 after battling pancreatic cancer. His final days were spent surrounded by his loving family: including wife of 48 years Suzanne; children Barbara (Reuben) and Zack (Anna); and granddaughters Emma, Kaia, and Eliana.

Roger’s life was guided by love for family, commitment to education, care for community, passion for travel, and a deep respect for the natural world. He was born on January 17, 1949 and first began developing these values while growing up in Chico. He spent his childhood visiting his father Dr. Lowell Steel at his medical practice, attending art openings with his mother, artist Claudia Steel, and adventuring with his siblings Sue and Doug and their many cousins.

Roger and Suzanne met while completing their teaching credentials at UC Berkeley. They shared a close and caring marriage and many life adventures, foremost of which was raising their two children and enjoying time with their grandchildren. Roger was a caring, insightful, and fun presence in his children’s lives, attending school and sports events, constantly planning family outings large and small, and providing wise advice. These relationships grew into close friendships as his children became adults. His three granddaughters were also a great joy in his life, and he passed on his love of camping, the Giants, and joyful family gatherings.

Roger spent his career as a teacher, principal, and later school superintendent, serving students and the education community in Australia, Lassen County, Chico (Forest Ranch, McManus, Chapman, Sierra View), Gerber, and finally Nevada City. Throughout his career he brought warmth, integrity, and a collaborative spirit to achieve common goals and took great pleasure in visiting classrooms and developing programs to meet the needs of a diverse array of students. In retirement, he continued his commitment to enhancing his community by serving on the boards of Butte County Schools, monca, Chico Museum, and Patrick Ranch.

Roger’s respect of nature took many forms, including his passion for travel, photography, environmental conservation, and his family’s farm land (“The Ranch”) which has been in the family going on six generations. He spent months planning annual camping trips for his family to places like Yosemite and the Oregon Coast, which fostered their strong connection to and appreciation for nature and each other. The family also spent many happy times together at their Lake Almanor cabin. In retirement, Roger and Suzanne expanded their travels to many corners of the world including the glaciers of Antarctica, savannas of sub-Saharan Africa, canals of France, and rivers of southeast Asia. During these adventures, he continued to develop his photographic style, which creatively captured natural scenes in breathtaking and unexpected ways.

Services to celebrate Roger’s life are scheduled for 2:30 on Friday, October 22^nd at Patrick Ranch. COVID safety is very important to our family and the event will be outside. Please wear masks regardless of vaccination status and refrain from attending if you have any symptoms. In lieu of flowers, please direct donations to the Natural Resources Defense Council or the Jesus Center.