Obituary of Stephen Eric Schonebaum

1 THESSALONIANS 5:16 - 22 Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. Stephen Eric Schonebaum was born in Minneapolis, MN on September 28, 1961 to Bill and Karen Schonebaum. Steve was the first of four boys and grew up in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. In 1964, Steve and his family lived in Japan for nine months where his parents worked for the Omi Brotherhood, a Christian organization, teaching English for various adult groups and businesses. Steve attended St. Olaf College and graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. After graduation, he lived in Japan from 1984 to 1986 to teach English. Steve learned to read and write Japanese and developed many enduring friendships while living in Japan. Upon returning home to Minnesota, Steve began a career at West Publishing where he worked for ten years as a Sales Representative and Editor. In 1990, Steve moved to Southern California to take on a new opportunity with West Publishing. In his late thirties, Steve made a pivotal decision to change careers and began the next chapter of his life focused on forming and building start-up companies. In 1999, he co-founded a venture-funded engineering information services provider. In 2003, he co-founded a venture-funded satellite broadband provider to commercial aviation. In 2007, Steve co-founded another company that provided environmental compliance data services and software products. Steve was a bright businessman and very gifted at sales and marketing. He had a profound love for building businesses. Steve was a brilliant, energetic and eternally optimistic man. He was incredibly knowledgeable and read voraciously. He was also a very humble person who enjoyed nothing more than to be in the company of friends and family. Steve’s faith in Jesus Christ influenced his life tremendously. Steve’s upbringing was one centered in faith, which helped form his path in life, from teaching English in Japan to working for Stephen Ministries. After moving to the Los Angeles area, Steve soon became a member of a Lutheran Church, where Steve formed his many close friendships. Steve eventually became a member of Ascension Lutheran Church in Thousand Oaks, CA. This church meant the world to Steve and was a place where he could commune, rejoice, mourn, and be with his good friends in a community of faith. Music was another focal point for Steve. He grew up in a highly musical home, in which everyone sang or played an instrument. Music came naturally to Steve, but more importantly, music was a way to channel his own creativity. Steve performed and soloed in many choirs, including St. Olaf Choir, Ventura County Master Chorale, Los Robles Master Chorale, and more recently, Arete Vocal Ensemble. As importantly, Steve sang with the Ascension Lutheran Church Choir, a group of very talented and faithful singers. Steve loved being in the Great Outdoors. He enjoyed hiking, mountain-biking, camping, fly-fishing, golfing and skiing. His home in California was close to amazing mountain-biking trails and he would regularly venture into the trail system to seek refuge and excitement. In most years, Steve took a hiking trip in the Sierra Mountains with his buddy Byron, and also a fly fishing trip in Montana with his friend JP. Steve’s sense of adventure led him on many memorable trips. Steve was also an avid golfer and could regularly be found on a golf course or working on his swing on a driving range with his close friend, Jim. In 2010, Steve was diagnosed with brain cancer. Steve was both strengthened and humbled by the terminal disease. Steve once wrote in his Caring Bridge journal, “I remain optimistic and move forward believing that I can be certain of God's love, the glory of his creation, and the need to view every day as a gift. I know that my family and good friends love me and I love them. I know that working and playing hard and viewing every day as a gift is a good thing. For me, that's the only way to deal with this uncertainty.” Most importantly, family and friends were the center of Steve’s life. Steve was loved by many people from all walks of life. He also loved many people and derived great satisfaction by being with friends and family. Steve was a positive influence on countless people, friends and family alike. Steve passed away on March 30, 2016 at his brother John’s house, surrounded by loving family. Steve is mourned by his brothers, John, Dan and Pete; his mother Karen; his sisters-in-law, Gayle and Sigrid; his nieces and nephews; loved ones at Ascension Church and many dear friends in California and Minnesota. Steve was a good man who led a full life. He will be deeply missed.