Stephen Vane Somerville, 66, passed away on Veteran’s Day November 11, 2020 in Norman, Oklahoma. He was born August 14, 1954 in Ardmore, Oklahoma to Joe and Phyllis Earleen (Snell) Somerville. Steve grew up in Norman and was educated in Norman schools. From an early age, he showed an aptitude and talent for all things mechanical and electrical. These aptitudes served him well when he joined the US Army on his 18th birthday, training initially at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and subsequently at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama to be a Hawk Missile Pulse Radar Repairman. Upon graduation, Steve was deployed to the then West Germany and served with the 32nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade in Ansbach, from 1973 to 1975. After his discharge from service, Steve returned to Oklahoma and used his skills and training to work as a business machines technician. He repaired and maintained typewriters, copiers and other office machinery. His specialty was the IBM Selectric typewriter and his knowledge and expertise with this complex machine was highly regarded by his peers and many customers. Later in his working life, Steve took jobs in the telecommunications industry and traveled extensively throughout the Midwest, installing, repairing and maintaining transmitters and other communications equipment. Steve lived his entire adult life in central Oklahoma, staying in Norman, Oklahoma City and Konawa. Outside of work, he loved the outdoors and fishing, cars and motorcycles – especially ’57 Chevys and Harley-Davidsons - and he found comfort both in the power of music and the company of dogs. As a student in school, he played baseball and football and was a lifelong fan of the OU Sooners and the Kansas City Chiefs. Later in life Steve rediscovered his Christian faith and spirituality, describing himself as Born Again.
Steve was preceded in death by his father, mother, brothers Ross and Clay and sister Rose. He is survived by his brother David of Dallas and many nieces, nephews and friends. He will be missed.
A memorial service will be planned for a later date and announced on Facebook. In lieu of any memorial donations, his brother asks that all of us take some time to reflect upon the untold sacrifices made by our veterans and active duty military, who willingly took an oath to Serve, Protect and Defend our Constitution and who through their combined efforts have kept and continue to keep us, a Free Nation.
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