Steven Carl "Steve" Reeger

Steven Carl Reeger, 79, of Palm Coast, Florida, most recently of Holiday, Florida, passed away on March 5, 2026, 525 days after being diagnosed with bladder cancer.

Born in Chicago, Illinois on March 29, 1946, he was the third of four children born to George and Edith Reeger. He was preceded in death by his parents; his nephew, Daniel Ruckoldt; his brother-in-law, Wally Bray; his sister-in-law, Phyllis Reeger; his grandson-in-law, Wayne Robbins; and his first wife, Mary (Hardt) Davis.

He is survived by his daughters, Eileen Reeger and Dianne Reeger, and his chosen daughter Jill (Billy) Snyder; his siblings, Dianne Bray, Susan Reeger, and Paul Reeger; and his second wife, Jan Reeger. He is also survived by his nieces Julie (Ken) Miller and Tanya (Donald) Richards; his nephews Chris (Allie) Ruckoldt and Matt (Joy) Ruckoldt and their children; and a vast network of chosen family and friends. His beloved cat, Ivy Mae Addison Reeger, also mourns his loss.

Over his lifetime Steve held many roles—son, brother, husband, father, uncle, and friend—but his greatest joy was becoming a grandfather. He often joked that he would have skipped parenthood entirely if he could have gone straight to the role of “Poppa.” He leaves behind his beloved grandchildren: Georgia (Kosuke) Nakajima, Lachlan Kennedy, Joseph (Desirea) O’Brien, Amber (Patrick) Ballou, Brandy Robbins, Carissa Pond, and Jessie Tillman. He was the proud “Great Poppa” to Lily Nakajima, Jackson and Emery O’Brien, Elyjah Boria, Jonas and Scarlet Ballou, Annaleise, Landon, and Adeline Robbins, and Tristan Ritter.

Steve’s early years were spent in the northwest suburbs of Illinois, where he got into mischief with his younger brother and doted on his older sisters. He sang in the choir, competed as a pole vaulter in high school, and learned to garden, fish, and work hard. At nineteen, on March 7, 1966, he began a six-year career in the United States Navy. He served aboard the USS Wilkinson (DL-5), USS Noa (DD-841), USS Kenneth D. Bailey (DD-713/DDR-713), and USS Perry (DD-844) as an interior communications electrician. During his service he crossed the equator, earned his Royal Shellback status, traveled through the Straits of Gibraltar, and visited ports from St. Thomas to Senegal. He and his brother Paul served together on the same ship, were chased by an elephant in Kenya’s Tsavo Game Preserve, and both expressed deep pride in having served their country. He received an honorable discharge in December 1971.

His final duty station in Mayport, Florida led him to settle his young family in the northwest suburbs of Illinois. After a short time in Crystal Lake, he made Cary his home, raising his daughters in one of the first subdivisions he helped build, Greensfield. Steve spent more than forty years as a home builder, first with Pulte Homes and later with ICI Homes, creating not only houses but a wide circle of close friends and chosen family. After divorcing in 1990, he moved to South Florida, where he met his second wife, Jan, and chosen daughter, Jill. When grandchildren began arriving, he and Jan moved to Palm Coast, Florida, where he lived for the next twenty-two years.

An avid golfer and fisherman, Steve looked forward to annual trips with his father and brother to Hawk Lake Lodge in Ontario, Canada. In retirement he spent many hours in his woodshop creating gifts for loved ones; those fortunate enough to own a “Poppa Steve Original” treasure them still. He also loved to cook, earning the nickname “The Tin Chef.” He was known for his fierce love of family, his close bond with his siblings, his appreciation for a good joke (and sometimes a bad one), three fingers of Scotch, sushi dinners, gardening, hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows, and shouting incorrect answers at Jeopardy!. Gregarious, sentimental, and generous, Steve was often the life of the party and the ringleader of celebrations. He hosted memorable holidays, birthdays, and an epic annual Independence Day barbecue in Cary that frequently ended with someone in the pond behind the house. In 1976 he and his brother threw a three-day Bicentennial bash whose stories were still being told years later.

A lifelong Cubs fan, Steve finally celebrated their World Series victory in 2016. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him, comforted by the thought that he now has the best seat in the house for every Cubs game.