Robert Wesley Steele

1 May 1965 - 26 March 2023

Rob Steele, 57, passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 26th due to complications from a prolonged illness. He had been living in Pleasant Grove, UT and Mesa, AZ with longtime friend, Amy Arndt. He was a dynamic individual; the absence of his love, humor, compassion, and “MacGyver-ness” will be immensely missed.

Rob was born on Saturday, May 1, 1965, in Pearisburg, Giles County, Virginia to Bettye Dyanne Smith and the late, Connie Mack Steele. He is survived by his mother, of Selma, Alabama, and sister, Keri Sheets (with husband R.C.), niece Makenzie Sheets and nephew, Brycen Sheets of Glade Spring, Virginia.

If there was one thing Rob would say about his life, is that he lived a thousand lives; filled with wonderful experiences.

Early in Rob’s career, he worked in the IT Department at the University of Tennessee supporting the faculty and staff on using WordPerfect and GroupWise. He enjoyed this so much, that after attending a WordPerfect conference, Rob was hired as a GroupWise Sales Engineer for the company. He loved this product; and proud to represent it’s cutting-edge features and functionality.

Rob had several natural abilities that lead to success in his career. Whether he was working one- on-one with an individual or giving a stage presentation to hundreds, his passion for his work and the people made him shine. He held several roles at the company, these included travelling around the world and seeing so many sites and meeting many new friends. Rob has a friend in every city. When he retired early from Novell, he held the position as Senior Director of Analyst Relations.

Rob was also actively involved in several charity events. Throughout his lifetime he participated in a wide variety of events to help others less fortunate. He was always looking to lift another’s spirits when and where he could. As an avid cyclist, he would often ride for charities along the coastlines of California.

In addition to his professional success, he loved family. His world changed when he became an uncle to his niece and nephew, Makenzie, and Brycen Sheets. He loved spending time with them and wishes they had more opportunities to share. He enjoyed watching them grow and was so proud of the people they have become.

He also became “Uncle Rob” to Amy’s extended family. He found great pleasure in so many aspects with the siblings, nieces, nephews, and the great niece and nephews. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he became an elementary school teacher (like Makenzie who teaches 5th grade), swim coach, and Master of Water Balloon fights. Rob enhanced our families lives, he was deeply loved, and will always be remembered.

Rob’s illnesses made it difficult for him to maintain close contact with dear friends and family. His wish is that you’ll have great memories to carry with you. To help in this process, he has requested, in lieu of a funeral, that friends and family take time to share their memories of Rob. 

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