David Lee Steig, 82

David was born in the Town of Hale on September 30, 1938 to Arthur and Myrtle (née Hegge) Steig.

He graduated in 1956 from Whitehall Memorial High School. David married Betty Walkup on September 25, 1965, and they began their life together in Pigeon Falls.

David enjoyed telling stories about growing up in Steig Coulee with his seven brothers and sisters, attending Huskelhus school, and pranks played on each other, and occasionally, his unfortunate teachers. He possessed a unique and legendary sense of humor!

A mechanical and electrical wizard, he parlayed those talents into a career as a mechanical engineer, welder and metal fabricator. He was co-owner of R&S Stainless, Inc. in Pigeon Falls for 23 years until retiring in 1995. Under his guidance, R&S expanded from the local blacksmith shop to a stainless steel specialty company installing custom CIP systems in national cheese companies including Wisconsin Dairies, AMPI, and Land O'Lakes; however he never stopped serving the local farmers.

David was an active member of the community, serving as council president of the Pigeon Falls Evangelical Lutheran Church, Pigeon Falls' assistant fire chief, and the Town of Pigeon chairman for nearly two decades. He generously supported numerous causes.

He was a loving husband and father, teaching his three children the value of self-reliance, independence and ingenuity, as well as generosity, laughter and friendship. He enjoyed fishing and golfing with friends, collecting John Deere tractors, Korbel brandy, tinkering, vegetable gardening, riding his Harley, traveling out West, spending each February on the Gulf Coast, time at the family cabin, his visit to the original Steig homestead farm in Norway, and shooting the breeze. In retirement he could often be found hobby farming on the Hegge Homestead or mowing all of his lawns. A friend to all, he carried dog bones in every vehicle so he could give the dogs he met a treat and welcomed many friends at the house with a cold beer.

While he fought valiantly like the proud Norwegian he was, he died of the very real Covid-19 on November 22, 2020.

He is survived by Betty, his wife of 55 years, son Marc (Dawn), and daughters Sara Gradwohl (Dan) and Leah Reini (Ryan). He also leaves behind granddaughters Hannah Allen (Chris) and Melaina Steig (Adam Hitchcock), step-grandsons Corey Jurowski (Meredith) and Nathan Jurowski (Kimberly), step-great-granddaughters Zoë, Hailey, Norah, Leona, and Willa, sister Dorothy and brother Billy, and numerous other relatives and friends.

A Celebration of Life will be held in 2021, when hopefully all can gather and celebrate a life well-lived yet ended too soon.