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It is with heartfelt remembrance that we celebrate the life of Steven Kent Herring, who peacefully left this world on November 1st, 2024. 

Born on April 1st, 1964 at Patrick Airforce Base, Steve would grow into a dedicated husband, a business owner and entrepreneur, and a beloved friend.

Working from a young age at his father’s factory, Steve learned his work ethic from both his mother and father. He learned early on from his mother, how to organize a project to completion and developed a knack for creating efficient workflow processes to that end. The family was very focused on family business where they all took part while his mom also taught school and provided structure in the home. He learned self-discipline and hard work both there and on the football field, especially as a teenager. He had a protective nature about him and growing up in an adult world, he became bold and outspoken. He did not suffer fools or those who were dishonest and he had no reservation pointing this out to deter the exploitation of others.

As a young man, he was deeply impacted by his time spent with his fraternity, Delta Chi at Texas Tech. His experience of uniting together with his fraternity brothers toward a shared vision influenced him throughout his life. During that time, he enjoyed strengthening those bonds as they worked to achieve their common goal of growing their young chapter into a fraternity of influence.

Steve's professional journey was marked by many achievements. Early in his insurance career, he earned the Polaris Club award his first year in the business. He had a remarkable ability to read a book and then teach and inspire others with the concepts. At just twenty-two, he was invited by the agency's CEO to teach "The Laws of Success" to the entire company—an honor that showcased his natural talent, dedication and gift for speaking. He used that gift throughout his life to inspire others whether it was one on one or speaking to larger groups.

As he matured in his own businesses, he approached every goal with a definiteness of purpose and a sense of urgency, inspiring those around him to strive for excellence. His natural curiosity and eagerness to learn best practices and implement new ideas were qualities that lead to his success in many projects. He loved to rally those around him to get on, what he called, "the northbound train".

He spent the bulk of his adult years in Southern California and founded several businesses across different industries, some of which are still in operation. He worked hard to make the Inc. 500 List for his commercial fire life-safety company with the help of the team he built from the ground up including his business partner who lead the installation operations, his code writer and the technicians in the field and office staff who supported his vision and were like family. He had an open door policy for all of them and he came to know and offer help to anyone who needed assistance in their personal or professional lives. His innovative spirit and commitment to investing in people led him to become certified as a Modelnetics instructor, where he passionately trained his employees in business principles that helped them in their own careers. He demanded a lot and was a tough boss, but he influenced younger people to grow in their careers as they moved forward in life for which he took great pride.

Always the learner, he furthered his own education by attending Pepperdine’s Graziadio School of Business where he received his President & Key Executive Masters degree in Business.

His desire to be around like-minded entrepreneurs lead him to discover the Young Entrepreneurs Organization. With no chapter close enough to home, Steve founded the Orange County chapter of the organization, serving as President for two years. He made lasting friendships with members of this organization. Later, he and a few of his friends from this chapter, flew to Japan to support the launch of the first international chapter in Tokyo. He truly loved influencing others and was a dynamic speaker whose speaking engagements included the University of Hawaii, Pepperdine Univerrsity and various business groups. More than anything though, Steve’s favorite pastime was exploring various business frameworks, concepts and new ideas with his friends and colleagues, turning challenges into workable solutions.

For several years, Steve devoted himself to caring for those he loved, particularly during times of illness. He selflessly did this while managing a growing business—providing unwavering support to his loved ones. When he took on the personal affairs of his wife’s aging parents. He never missed a Sunday watching football with his father-in-law, and they enjoyed intellectual sparring with each other about current events. He was the last person his father-in-law recognized and who was always excited to see him. Steve also loved discussing profound and intellectual subjects with his mother-in-law, and brought laughter and light to their lives during difficult times. He later revealed that he spent many mornings sharing cherished time with his mother-in-law over coffee and reading the paper together while the rest of the house slept in. He loved making her laugh with his impressions of various celebrities like Dr. Ruth and other characters of the day.

His ability to brighten their days and foster loving relationships with them remains a cherished memory. It is said that the greatest gift you can give a loved one is to love your loved one’s love ones, and that they did.

Steve was passionate, forthright and brash. He had a strong personality but also had a compassionate heart. He never hesitated to explore options with anyone who needed help or a new direction. He would give the shirt off of his own back to help those he cared for and he did.

Lastly, Steve was devoted to growing in life with his wife, Karen, who shared his love of animals and who joined him in exploring new business or psychological frameworks and sharing long, long talks about many subjects in great depth. He enjoyed influencing others but would change pace if someone had a better idea. He sought the truth above all else.

Steve was preceded in death by his father Carroll, his father-in-law, Carl, his mother-in-law, Millie, his grandparents LM, LuRee, Thelma and Homer. His aunts, Glenda, Barbara, and Sylvia. He is survived by his wife, Karen, his mother, Karen, his brother Mark, his two nieces, Kendra and Tricia, his grand nieces and nephew Mia, Summer, Kaleb, Mary, Abby and Ava.

He will be deeply missed but never forgotten by his friends and loved ones. 

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