Steven Mark Best: A Life Well Lived

Steven Mark Best, 74, passed away in his Powder Springs, Georgia, home on July 4, 2025, surrounded by his beloved family.

Born to Donna and Martin Best on January 29, 1951, Steve grew up in a close-knit, loving family alongside his four siblings—Marty, Tom, Julie, and Cindy—who survive him today.

From a young age, Steve discovered a deep love for wrestling. A gifted athlete, he competed throughout high school and refereed at the collegiate level, embracing the sport with passion and discipline. He shared that love by mentoring others, including his younger brother Tom, whom he proudly coached. For Steve, wrestling was more than a sport—it was a way of life, instilling in him the strength, resilience, and heart that would define his journey.

Those same qualities carried into his military service. Steve proudly served his country in Army Intelligence during the Vietnam War, earning seven military medals for his exemplary service. His sacrifice and service eventually led to his classification as a 100% service-disabled veteran.

Following his time in the Army, Steve pursued another lifelong calling: healing. In 1978, he graduated from Northwest Chiropractic College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and went on to open a thriving chiropractic practice, where he cared for and touched the lives of countless patients until his retirement in 1997.

In 1982, Steve married Paulette Saltzman, beginning a partnership that would last over 40 years. Together, they built a life grounded in faith, family, and unshakable resilience. He was the proud father of four children: Ryan Johannsen (Kirsten), Tonia Entous (Marc), Nicholas Best (Heather), and Annika Best-Wittenberg (Jacob), as well as his daughter-in-law, Melissa Broaddus. He delighted in his eleven grandchildren: Tanner Broaddus; Carter and Emmerson Johannsen; Olivia Jade, Olivia Pearl, and Rilla Best; Jonah, Jayden, and Jordan Entous; and Rahab and Judah Best-Wittenberg. He was also blessed to become a great-grandpa to his great-grandchild, Rayla Broaddus.

Faith was the steady rhythm of Steve’s life. A steadfast follower of Christ, he poured himself into Scripture, lifted his voice in worship, and walked each day in quiet, powerful devotion to his Savior. His beliefs weren’t just something he held—they were something he lived, with courage, joy, and conviction.

Steve embodied the spirit of Philippians 4:13—“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Diagnosed with a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy, linked to his military service, doctors once told him he wouldn’t live to see his youngest daughter turn two. But Steve rewrote that story with grit and grace—defying every prediction to live more than thirty years beyond that moment. He watched his children grow into adulthood, celebrated their weddings, and welcomed—with great joy—every one of his grandchildren, and even a great-grandchild, into the world.

His passion for storytelling and preserving family history led him to research, write, and publish two books—using voice dictation software when his body could no longer write for him.

Steve’s life was not one of mere survival, but a remarkable legacy of resilience, devotion, and enduring love. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, uncle, and friend. He was truly one of a kind, and his legacy will live on through the countless lives he touched and the family he cherished so deeply.

A Viewing will be held on July 15, at 11 am, with a funeral with full military honors to follow at 12pm. The Viewing and Funeral Service will take place at Georgia Funeral Care, in Acworth, GA. In a private ceremony, Steve will be laid to rest among the fellow veterans he deeply admired and respected at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, GA.

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