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Raymond Bradley Steele
02/13/1958 — 09/10/2004
From Kennewick, WA, US | Born in Spokane, Washington
Raymond Bradley Steele
EINANS FUNERAL HOME
Raymond Bradley Brad Steele
February 13TH, 1958 to September 10th, 2004
Raymond Bradley Steele was born on February 13th, 1958 and was presumed drowned September 10th, 2004, while on a week long crabbing trip with friends. Brad was born in Spokane, Washington to Raye & Joanne Steele. They moved to Pullman in 1963 where he graduated from Pullman High School in 1976. He worked in Pullman as a certified auto technician. He went on to marry his high school sweetheart Karen Barton in 1978. Brad spent 10 years with the phone company which brought him to Kennewick in 1981. Brad began working for Battelle in 1987, as Senior Development Engineer Safeguards and Security Technologist. He spent 16 years with Battelle and was given the opportunity to travel to different destinations helping all he could along the way. He continued his education by earning a Bachelors Degree from Kennedy Western University. There was nothing Brad loved more than spending time with family and friends. He was a proud papa of 4 grandchildren who always managed to keep him on his toes. He enjoyed adventures big and small, camping, fishing, hunting, wild horse racing and riding 4 wheelers. Brad volunteered a lot of his time to many programs in his community. He was a part of the Benton County Reserves and the Columbia Basin Dive Rescue. He was president of the Finley Youth Council and a member of the Pasco Moose Lodge as well as Benton County Sheriffs Posse. Brad was preceded in death by his parents Raye and Joanne Steele, his grandparents Frank and Dorothy Stelting and sister Janet Steele. Also by Lanny and Christine Swan his brother and sister-in-law. He is survived by his loving wife Karen Steele, son and daughter in-law Curtis and Crystal Steele and daughters Janet and Angela Steele all of Finley, sister Susie and Ryan Hodges of Spokane, Washington, along with her daughters Diana and Laura Gearhiser. Also his brother Bob and Linda Steele of Wenatchee, Washington with their daughter Leslie and sons Don and Dan Dopps, niece Jennifer and Kary Elder of Clarkston with their daughter Terra. Mother and father- in-law Paul and Dorothy Barton and niece Paula Johnson all of Kennewick. Last but not least Brad is survived by his four grandchildren Quintyn, Xavier, Daisy and Mercedes all of Finley. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, September 18th, 2004 at 4:00 PM at Einans Funeral Home in Richland Washington. A celebration of his life will follow at 218108 E. 59TH Ave., Kennewick. Food contributions would be greatly appreciated. Memorial Contributions may be made in Brads name to Columbia Basin Dive Rescue, P.O.Box 5453, Kennewick, WA 99336
Please express your thoughts and memories in the online Guest Book at www.einansfuneralhome.com under the obituary section
____________BILLING INFORMATION: KAREN STEELE, 218108 E. 59TH STREET, KENNEWICK, WA 99337 509 582-3098 PLEASE RUN WITH PHOTO FOR WEDNESDAYS EDITION
Your friendship over the many years, coupled with your wonderful personality will be greatly missed. And thank you for all of the time that you dedicated to the citizens of our community as a reserve deputy sheriff for the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. Your service touched the hearts of many people in the sheriff’s office as well as in our communities. Thank you Brad for all that you have given and done for all of us. You will be forever missed, but not forgotten. Thank you. Larry Taylor
Karen: Tom and I wanted to send our condolences to you now, and we will see you also at the memorial. We’ve been friends for a long time, and wanted you to know how sorry we are and that you can count on us if you need anything. Love, Tom & Lynn
Brad and I worked together for many years at PNNL on Russia nonproliferation programs. We were friends and colleagues, and I am very saddened about his death. He was a very good man.
Unfortunately I will not be able to attend the memorial service because we will be out of town for our son’s wedding. Please accept my sincere and heart-felt condolences
Karen, Paul and Dorothy are thoughts are with you at this time of sorrow.You have had to much. Jack and Pat Nelson.
May God guide and comfort you in this time of sorrow.
Brad may not be with you in body, but he will always be with you in spirit and will always watch over you.
My thoughts and prayers are with you all. Debbie Ward
Karen and Family, The Kohl Family wants to let you know how saddened we are at your loss. I remember how kind and caring Brad was when my husband Karl died in 84. He brought meals to my family that the people at GTE so lovingly made for us. Just know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and yours.
Karen& Family:
I don’t know you, and I didn’t know Brad personally. I am a cousin to Bill Gustin. I have thought of you everyday and night since this has happened, and of Billy’s immediate Family too. I Pray you find comfort in your memories and through Gods Grace and Love. I wanted to share this with you and I hope it brings comfort in some small way. While talking with a friend of mine about the belief in the power of spontaneous thoughts of a Loved one example: I often over the years have thought about my Mother……and either I have called her, or she called me, and found we were thinking of each other at the same time, she expressed to me her and her Dad were the same way. When he passed suddenly, her grief was unbearable, until she said she had to express to God and to her Dad, how she felt. She said, I heard his voice her Dads inside me say, “Don’t worry ! Im alright, you would be suprised how easy it is, and how very close I am.” Remember Jesus is with us at that moment, we are not alone. Remember too, though they are not with us in the physical, they are close at hand in the spirit. Please accept my heartfelt condolences.
I wish to express my deepest sympathy to Karen and the rest of Brads family. I worked with Brad for over 10 years and enjoyed every minute of it. He always had a smile on his face and was always telling me to smile even though I already was!. I would see him daily when he was in the office, he would come pick up his mail with coffee cup in hand and stop and talk mostly about his family and what he was planning to do with his buddies. Most of his stories started with Me and my buddy. It was a pleasure to work with him and I will miss that smile. I pray that God will give you strength and comfort in the coming months.
Your friendship over the many years, coupled with your wonderful personality will be greatly missed. And thank you for all of the time that you dedicated to the citizens of our community as a reserve deputy sheriff for the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. Your service touched the hearts of many people in the sheriff’s office as well as in our communities. Thank you Brad for all that you have given and done for all of us. You will be forever missed, but not forgotten. Thank you. Larry Taylor
Karen: Tom and I wanted to send our condolences to you now, and we will see you also at the memorial. We’ve been friends for a long time, and wanted you to know how sorry we are and that you can count on us if you need anything. Love, Tom & Lynn
Brad and I worked together for many years at PNNL on Russia nonproliferation programs. We were friends and colleagues, and I am very saddened about his death. He was a very good man.
Unfortunately I will not be able to attend the memorial service because we will be out of town for our son’s wedding. Please accept my sincere and heart-felt condolences
Karen, Paul and Dorothy are thoughts are with you at this time of sorrow.You have had to much. Jack and Pat Nelson.
May God guide and comfort you in this time of sorrow.
Brad may not be with you in body, but he will always be with you in spirit and will always watch over you.
My thoughts and prayers are with you all. Debbie Ward
Karen and Family, The Kohl Family wants to let you know how saddened we are at your loss. I remember how kind and caring Brad was when my husband Karl died in 84. He brought meals to my family that the people at GTE so lovingly made for us. Just know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and yours.
Karen& Family:
I don’t know you, and I didn’t know Brad personally. I am a cousin to Bill Gustin. I have thought of you everyday and night since this has happened, and of Billy’s immediate Family too. I Pray you find comfort in your memories and through Gods Grace and Love. I wanted to share this with you and I hope it brings comfort in some small way. While talking with a friend of mine about the belief in the power of spontaneous thoughts of a Loved one example: I often over the years have thought about my Mother……and either I have called her, or she called me, and found we were thinking of each other at the same time, she expressed to me her and her Dad were the same way. When he passed suddenly, her grief was unbearable, until she said she had to express to God and to her Dad, how she felt. She said, I heard his voice her Dads inside me say, “Don’t worry ! Im alright, you would be suprised how easy it is, and how very close I am.” Remember Jesus is with us at that moment, we are not alone. Remember too, though they are not with us in the physical, they are close at hand in the spirit. Please accept my heartfelt condolences.
I wish to express my deepest sympathy to Karen and the rest of Brads family. I worked with Brad for over 10 years and enjoyed every minute of it. He always had a smile on his face and was always telling me to smile even though I already was!. I would see him daily when he was in the office, he would come pick up his mail with coffee cup in hand and stop and talk mostly about his family and what he was planning to do with his buddies. Most of his stories started with Me and my buddy. It was a pleasure to work with him and I will miss that smile. I pray that God will give you strength and comfort in the coming months.
Karen, I am so sorry. Please accept my condolences on Brad’s tragic death. He was such a fine person. I will miss Brad and his company. Dmitri
Brad and I worked together to upgrade security of Russian facilities for the past 3 years. Some of my fondest memories are trips I took w/ Brad to Russia and DC and conferences around the U.S. for work. He always had a funny story to share, a joke to tell, or our team would get into debates about politics and foreign and domestic US policy. He was always well informed on the issues, and knew where he stood on things. Most often, though, Brad would share stories with me about his family, and his love for his kids and grand kids. He was so proud of them, and I felt like I knew them all. Even in times when he was frustrated with some issue, he always said, “I just want them to be happy, and live a good life!” He openly and transparently loved Karen completely and always said wonderful things about her. I remember before the St. Pete trip, Karen had some reservations about going, and when my husband and I had to cancel our plans to go, she had more reservations, but he kept telling me – she’s just going to love it, Carrie. She’s got to go. I’ve always wanted to take her. He missed his family when he traveled. I remember back in about 1998, Brad stopped going to Russia and Kazakhstan all the time. He felt like his family needed him home, and he quit the foreign work and started doing domestic security. He always put the family first. We had such fun in Russia – he loved going to the orphanage in Tavatuiski, not far from Novouralsk where we worked at the base of the Urals mountains, north of Ekaterinburg. The first time we visited, we brought huge bags of toys from Target, and when we got there, we bought sleds with our extra money. We took all this stuff to the orphanage and visited with all those cute kids. Brad held them all, gave them chocolates, held their hands, listened to their stories and didn’t understand a word! :-, and he just glowed with happiness. The kids all wanted to go home with him. I remember they asked him if he knew Arnold Schwartzenegger or Jackie Chan. He cracked up. Brad always made sure I was safe in Russia, and wouldn’t let me go anywhere alone. He was like a brother to me, and everyone who met him, liked him. The Russians loved him, and considered him a “real man” because he would drink with them, go into the bannya sauna, eat lots of food at the banquets, tell good long toasts about the future of our kids and grandkids, and the beauty of wives, and stuff like that. I can’t imagine going back to Russia without him, and that’s going to be one of the hardest things I’ll have to do. We’ll be putting a brass plaque up at UEIP dedicating the physical security system to Brad and dedicating the protective forces upgrades to Steve. We lost 2 wonderful men in the last 2 months, both to tragic accidents, and both in their prime. It’ll be really a hard thing to move on without them. I want Brad’s family to know that I’ll keep them in my prayers and would like to stay in touch. I’ll see you Saturday. With love, -Carrie
My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family. I’ve worked with Brad over the years and have enjoyed hearing about his family and the many camping stories.
Brad always had a smile on his face, conversation to share, and that coffee cup in hand. He will be missed by everyone who knew him.
I will not be able to attend the services, please accept my condolences.
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Raymond Bradley Steele