1940 ~ 2021
RENO, NV – Dr. Stephen St. Jeor died on August 6, 2021, at the age of 81, in Reno, NV after a short battle with COVID pneumonia, despite being fully vaccinated.
Steve was born on June 17, 1940, in Salt Lake City, Utah to Charles Elmo and Sarah Tame St. Jeor. He was an adventurous child and fascinated by the outdoors and wildlife. From his early days with experimenting on skunks to his later career in virology, Steve was perpetually curious. His humor and warmth were enjoyed by all.
When not researching or teaching, Steve was an avid outdoorsman and loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He explored many areas of the Wasatch, Sawtooth and Sierra Nevada Mountain ranges, hiking, mountain biking and fly fishing. He traveled with his family across the world to six continents. Steve was always most at home on the slopes, from his early days on the tow rope at Alta ski resort, to heli-skiing in Canada and Argentina. He was an enthusiastic scuba diver and dove all over the world – his favorite place being Roatan, Honduras. His children and grandchildren carry on these passions and the fond memories of spending time with him and sharing many of his adventures.
Steve graduated from West High School and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, where he received his undergraduate degree in Zoology and Entomology and a doctorate in Microbiology. While attending the U of U, he met his wife of 57 years, Sachiko Tokunaga. They moved to Texas and Pennsylvania and in 1979 they settled in Reno, where he continued his work in virology at the University of Nevada Reno Medical School. Steve is known for his pioneer work with cytomegalovirus and hantavirus and worked extensively with the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control. He established the Cell and Molecular Biology Program in 1986 and served as its Director for 26 years until his retirement. He mentored and guided numerous PhD students welcoming them into his home and family, an impact felt far beyond his professional influence. Steve became an entrepreneur and also founded, GenQuest DNA in 1993 as a small business mainly to support the medical genetics course and student research. He retired as a Professor Emeritus in Microbiology after serving the University for 33 years.
He is survived by his wife, Sachiko Tokunaga St. Jeor, daughters Stephanie (Mathew) Schmitt and Suzette (Justin) Champagne, and six grandchildren – Madeline and Ethan Champagne and Nathaniel, Alyssa, Maximilian, and Spencer Schmitt. He is also survived by his siblings – Camille Gambles, Claudia Bentley, Shauna Kilpatrick, and Richard St. Jeor.
He will be laid to rest in a small family gathering in Salt Lake City, Utah. A celebration of life will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family has established a memorial fund to further his interest in virus research (particularly COVID related). Donations may be made directly to the Dr. Stephen St. Jeor Memorial Fund #7565142432 at any Wells Fargo Bank.
Published by The Salt Lake Tribune from Aug. 13 to Aug. 17, 2021.
Credit: Source link
