Steven Herbert LaPrade

Steven Herbert LaPrade, age 78, passed away surrounded by those who loved him. Born on May 4, 1947, in Hamilton, Ohio, to George Lewis LaPrade and Barbara Ann (Worley) LaPrade, he grew up with a quiet strength and deep sense of compassion that would define his life.

Steven earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of New Mexico in 1969 and began his career that same year as a police reporter for the Amarillo Globe-News, where he worked until 1978. In 1970 he was baptized at the Central Church of Christ in Amarillo, Texas, beginning a lifelong faith that remained central to him. On July 31, 1971, he married Georgann, the love of his life, and together they shared 54 beautiful years of marriage. The couple lived in Michigan, Arizona, and Texas before making their home in Norman, Oklahoma, in 1980, where Steven became a devoted member of the Alameda Church of Christ.

He found joy in listening to folk, country, and religious music, was an avid reader who truly loved books, and in his younger years enjoyed playing chess. Above all, Steven cherished his family. He believed strongly in caring for others and taught those around him the importance of looking out for the vulnerable and the marginalized. He wanted to be remembered as a family man who treasured his wife, loved his family deeply, and remained devoted to God.

He is survived by his wife, Georgann LaPrade; his son, Daniel Dickson-LaPrade and his spouse Freya Dickson-LaPrade of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; his grandchildren, Matilda Dickson-LaPrade and Aram Dickson-LaPrade; his nieces, Joy Marie Platt, Gloria Rokicki, Mindy Dominguez, Melissa Dominguez, Grace Hester, and Kat Coddington; his nephews, John Drechsler, Paul Drechsler, Jeremy Raney, Ritchie Raney, David Clements, and William Raney; his cousins, Gwen Worley and Joan Worley; and his beloved cat, Remi. Steven was preceded in death by his parents, George Lewis LaPrade and Barbara Ann LaPrade, and his sister, Lesly Drechsler.