Obituary of Steven Francis Schweitzer

Steven Francis Schweitzer, age 67 years, 8 months, 29 days, passed away Saturday, August 16, 2014 at his home surrounded by his family after a four month struggle with cancer. Mass of Christian Burial will be 2:00 PM, Wednesday, August 20, 2014 at St. Benedict Catholic Church, Yankton, SD with Rev. Ken Lulf officiating. Burial will be approximately 4:30 PM, Wednesday afternoon at the St. Boniface parish cemetery, Idylwilde. Visitations will be begin at 6:00 PM, Tuesday evening at St. Ben's Catholic Church, Yankton, with a rosary at 7:00 PM and a Scripture service at 7:30 PM. Visitations will resume one hour prior to the service at the church. The Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home & Crematory, Yankton, is assisting with service details. Pallbearers will be: Matthew Miller; Genevieve Schweitzer; Casey Skillingstad; Brady Skillingstad; Sarah Schweitzer; Maddie Schweitzer. Honorary Pallbearers will be his additional grandchildren and great grandchildren Steve was born November 19th, 1946 to Francis and Adeline (Moeller) Schweitzer in Yankton, South Dakota. He was the oldest of fourteen children. His early life consisted of studies at District 27 School, Salem Township. He also worked for his father and Uncle Bill on their family farms in Turner County where he developed a work ethic that served him well all of his life. He graduated from Freeman High School and Freeman Junior College before attending South Dakota State University where he attained a bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering. A desire for empathetic living drove his passion for learning. His devotion to this was nurtured by reading, attending and facilitating self-improvement seminars, and in later years taking classes in theology and psychology, earning his Master of Arts degree from Mount Marty College in Yankton, SD. After graduation from SDSU, Steve established a very successful career in power systems operations at the Western Area Power Administration. He worked in the Huron, SD; Watertown, SD; and the Billings, MT offices before finishing his career in Denver, Colorado as Chief Operating Officer responsible for a six state Mid-west power grid. Steve met his future wife Mary (Allen) Harvey at a Parents Without Partners cakewalk in Billings, Montana. They married on June 5, 1976 and moved to Watertown, SD, where they lovingly raised their seven children. Family outings were many, including hunting, fishing, backpacking, biking, and a general pursuit of all things outdoors. His children carry on many of these traditions with their families and friends. Retiring in 1996, Steve and Mary moved back to Yankton where his story began. Helping family and giving back to the community were two pillars of his retirement life. He appreciated assisting his brother on the family farm, working the same lands he had years before with his father and uncle. He enjoyed time visiting with family; attending grandkid's activities; going on MS bike rides; hiking; fishing; and hunting. He volunteered for and served on the boards of the House of Mary Shrine and the South Dakota National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). His retirement years focused on what he had learned was important in life: family; helping others; and making this world a better place. He was "Weed" to his childhood pals for reasons he couldn't remember or wouldn't divulge; "Steven" to his brothers, sisters, mother and father; "Mr. Schweitzer" at work; "Honey" to his wife; "Pa" to his children; and "Grandpa" to his grandchildren. Regardless of how he was called, everyone knew him as a man who cared greatly for others; always gave and rarely asked; and worked daily at being a good man, a loving son, brother, husband, father, relative and friend. He provided a model life for us to emulate and try to follow. We will miss him dearly. Steven is survived by his wife of 38 years, Mary. His children: Bill (Melanie) Schweitzer of Chanhasssan, MN; Noleen (Curt) Skillingstad of Yankton, SD; Tracy (Earl) Horton of Pipeston, MN; John (Stacie) Harvey of Lawrenceburg, IN; Tim (Carol) Harvey of Colorado Springs, CO; David (Rattanamon) Harvey of Bangkok, Thailand; Adam Schweitzer of Yankton, SD; his mother Adeline Schweitzer of Yankton SD; brothers: Allen Schweitzer, Michael (Suk) Schweitzer, Bruce (Sandy) Schweitzer, Randy Schweitzer, Brian (Sherry) Schweitzer, Darrold (Lori) Schweitzer, Kevin (Kara) Schweitzer; sisters: Angela (Randy) Schaeffer, Donna (William) Cap, Mary (Doug) Baumiller, Pamela Jensen, Charlene (Gerry) Hora, Vicki (Garrett) Pachl; 12 grandchildren; 3 great grandchildren; and relatives and friends too numerous to mention. Steve was preceded in death by his father Francis, daughter Kayleen, and granddaughter Cassia. In honor of Steve's memory, the family requests memorials be directed to NAMI South Dakota, PO Box 88808, Sioux Falls SD, 57109; House of Mary Shrine, Lewis and Clark Lake, PO Box 455, Yankton, SD 57078; or a charity of your choice.