Steven William Theis, M.D.
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STEVE THEIS PASSED AWAY AT HOME, WHERE HE WANTED TO BE, ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, AFTER A LONG AND VERY CORAGEOUS BATTLE WITH CANCER. HE WAS 77.
STEVE WAS BORN IN BARBERTON, OHIO ON SEPTEMBER 24, 1943, TO FRANCIS THEIS AND HELEN JEAN WICKIZER THEIS. HE GRADUATED FROM MT LEBANON HIGH SCHOOL IN PENNSYLVANIA WHERE HE PLAYED BASKETBALL AND BASEBALL. HE WENT ON TO WABASH COLLEGE IN CRAWFORSVILLE, IND. HE ALWAYS SAID, HE WENT TO WABASH BECAUSE THEY ALLOWED DOGS IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. FROM THERE STEVE ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND GRADUATED IN 1969. HE DID AN INTERNSHIP AND GENERAL SURGERY RESIDENCY AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER. STEVE THEN WENT ON TO DO HIS RESIDENCY AND FELLOWSHIP IN ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY AT UPMC, WHERE HE WAS CHIEF RESIDENT.
STEVE WAS A MAJOR IN THE USAF. HE WAS THE CHIEF OF ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY AT ELGIN AIR FORCE BASE REGIONAL HOSPITAL. HE RECEIVED THE AIR FORCE COMMENDATION MEDAL IN 1976 FOR HIS EXCELLENT MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE OF ORTHOPEDOICS AND MANAGERIAL SKILLS ALONG WITH HIS HIGH MORALE AND PROFESSIONALISM."
IN 1976, AFTER LEAVING THE MILITARY, STEVE BEGAN PRACTICING ORTHOPEDICS IN PITTSBURGH AND WASHINGTON, PA. HE ULTIMATELY PRACTICED IN WASHINGTON, PA AND CANNONSBURG, PA. HE SPENT MOST OF HIS PROFESSIONAL CAREER IN SOLO PRACTICE. SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE RETIREMENT HE JOINED ADVANCED ORTHOPAEDICS AND REHAB. HE ENJOYED THESE LAST FEW YEARS OF HIS PROFESSION SO MUCH DUE TO THE GREAT GROUP OF DOCTORS, NURSES AND STAFF HE WORKED WITH. STEVE RETIRED IN JANUARY OF 2013.
IN 2001 STEVE MARRIED THE FORMER RAINE PATTON, THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE. IN FEBRUARY 2013, AFTER HE RETIRED, THEY MOVED TO THE LANDINGS IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA. THEY LOVED THE LIFE THEY SHARED THERE. IN 2014 STEVE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH HIS SECOND OCCURANCE OF HEAD AND NECK CANCER. AT THAT TIME HE HAD EXTENSIVE SURGERY THAT LEFT HIM UNABLE TO SPEAK OR TO EAT FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE DESTROYED THE SPIRT OF A NORMAL PERSON, BUT STEVE SET FORTH TO LIVE THE BEST LIFE HE COULD, NEVER COMPLAINING AND ALWAYS UPBEAT AND AN INSPIRATION TO ALL WHO KNEW HIM.
THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE STEVE ENJOYED BIRD HUNTING AND FLY FISHING. HE COLLECTED BOOKS ON THE SPORTS HE SO ENJOYED. STEVE LOVED WINE AND ALWAYS BELIEVED IT NEEDED TO BE ENJOYED" IN A PROPER GLASS." HE LIKED "GOOD ICE" AND HATED "BAD BREAD." ONE OF STEVE'S BIGGEST PASSIONS WAS COLLEGE BASKETBALL. HIS FAVORITE TEAM WERE THE DUKE BLUE DEVILS. STEVE LOVED WOODWORKING, AND AFTER HIS SURGERY IT PROVIDED MANY HOURS OF RELAXING ENJOYMENT FOR HIM, AND MANY BEAUTIFUL PIECES OF FURNITURE FOR RAINE. HE ENJOYED PHOTOGRAPHY. THE LANDINGS PROVIDED BEAUTIFUL SCENERY AND GORGEOUS WILDLIFE AND BIRDS AS HIS SUBJECTS. EVENTHOUGH STEVE COULD NO LONGER EAT, HE ENJOYED COOKING AND ENTERTAINING. STEVE AND RAINE LOVED TO HOST THEIR MIDPOINT HALLOWEEN PARTY EVERY YEAR. STEVE LOVED TO PLAY BRIDGE. HE LEARNED THE GAME IN COLLEGE BUT TOOK REFRESHER CLASSES WHEN RAINE WANTED TO LEARN TO PLAY. HE JOINED A POKER GROUP WITH A GREAT GROUP OF FRIENDS. STEVE AND RAINE BELONGED TO A EUCHRE GROUP AND WOULD GET TOGETHER WITH 7 OTHER COUPLES TO PLAY ONCE A MONTH. REGARDLESS OF HIS DISABILITIES, STEVE HAD A FULL AND ACTIVE LIFE, ATTENDING MONTHLY TRIVIA GAMES AND MANY DANCES AND SOCIAL GATHERINGS.
STEVE IS PREDECEASED BY HIS PARENTS, FRAN AND HELEN JEAN THEIS AND SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE RAINE AND HIS 3 DAUGHTERS, KIMBERLY (JOSEPH) SGROI, MELISSA (JEFFREY) MCVEIGH, ALLISON (BRIAN) DOLAN, TWO STEPCHILDREN, BETSY (MANUEL) DOMINGUEZ, AND BLAKE (ALLYSUM} CHUNKO. HE IS GRANDDAD TO 15 "WONDERFUL" GRANDCHILDREN: LYDIA MCVEIGH, MEGAN MCVEIGH, MATTHEW SGROI, CAROLINE SGROI, WILLIAM SGROI, ANNA CATHERINE SGROI, ANNE DOLAN, JOHN DOLAN, MARY GRACE DOLAN, PETER DOLAN, KATHERINE DOLAN, LUKE DOLAN, CLARA DOLAN, AXEL DOMINGUEZ AND JORDI DOMINGUEZ. HE IS ALSO SURVIVED BY HIS SIBLINGS. MARGARET ATKINSON, PHILIP (LINDA) THEIS, ELIZABETH MCNULTY, AND CATHERINE SUTULA, AND MANY NIECES AND NEPHEWS. HE ALSO LEAVES BEHIND HIS FUR BABIES, SOPHIE, MACIE GRACE, AND BELLA, WHO MISS HIM TERRIBLY.
BECAUSE OF COVID AND HIS REQUEST, THERE WILL BE NO FUNERAL. A MEMORIAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD AT A SAFER TIME. DONATIONS CAN BE MADE TO THE HUMANE SOCIETY FOR GREATER SAVANNAH, 7215 SALLIE MOOD DR. SAVANNAH, GA 31406.
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Fox & Weeks Funeral Directors, Savannah, Georgia