Stephen Stromp

Stromp, Stephen Alexander Jr., age 87 of Centerville, Ohio, passed away peacefully on August 7, 2025, surrounded by his devoted family. Stephen was born in 1938, in Wheeling, West Virginia, to Steven Stromp Sr. and Catherine (Kutzlo). He grew up as an only child and attended Warwood High School, followed by Wheeling Jesuit College, where he majored in English. He later attended the University of Dayton for his MA in Communications. Stephen met his wife, Patricia (Bauer), in 1957, and later moved to Dayton, Ohio, where he worked for DESC in public affairs until 1994. After DESC, Stephen went on to work for Bernard Haldane in career counseling, and he concluded his career by teaching business courses until the age of 80.

Stephen was preceded in death by his mother, Catherine, and father, Steven Alexander Sr.; grandparents, Theodore Kutzlo and Mary (Ciupa); and Joseph Stromp and Anna (Babarcsik).

Stephen is survived by his wife, Patricia; his children, Diane (Len), Kevin (Shelli), and Kristin (Rod); and his grandchildren, Stephanie, Maddi, Alexander, Ethan, Ryan, Jacqueline, Josh, Molly, and Ben.

Family will remember Stephen for his sense of humor, hard-driving work ethic, and his love of music, sports, and writing. Quite the comedian, Stephen was always laughing and making humor a part of the family experience, often laughing the loudest at his jokes.

Stephen started his career at DESC in 1960 as the editor of The Electron newspaper and later became the public affairs officer in 1981, managing media relations and community/legislative affairs. He volunteered his time and effort to the Junior Achievement program through Fairmont West High School and served on the board of the Kettering Chamber of Commerce. In 1994, he started a new chapter as a career counselor with Bernard Haldane. In later years, Stephen taught business courses for Sinclair Community College, Embry-Riddle, DeVry, and National College of Business. He retired at age 80 to be a full-time husband and pappy to his grandkids.

During his working life, Stephen wrote for many publications. He wrote a weekly column for the Dayton Daily News on employment. He also had articles appear in national publications, Government Executive, the U.S. Airways Magazine, and the Quality Assurance Journal.

What colored Stephen's personality the most was his love of music and sports. Stephen was open to all kinds of music, tailoring his choices to what his kids and grandkids liked when they were present. His first love was jazz; some of his favorites were Boney James, Bud Shank, and Grover Washington. He played the accordion in his youth, appearing in a local band. Later, he owned an organ and was always filling the house with music.

Stephen was a die-hard Cleveland Browns fan. He passed this love on to his son and grandchildren. He loved football, basketball, and baseball. He played baseball as a youth, primarily as a catcher. He was a baseball coach for his son's baseball team and acted as a behind-the-scenes coach for both of his grandsons, attending every single game.

We are blessed to have had Stephen as our husband, father, pappy, as well as our teacher, friend, and unconditional support system. We miss him greatly, but his mark on our family will forever be present.

The family would like to thank Visiting Angels of Centerville and Ohio Valley Hospice for their dedicated support and friendship to Stephen and the family.

A mass of Christian burial will be held on Monday, August 18, 2025, at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Centerville, Ohio. Visitation will take place from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., followed by the mass at 10:30 a.m. Burial will follow at David’s Cemetery in Kettering, Ohio.