Steven Dana Heeder (58) passed away on January 20, 2022 in Saratoga Springs, UT surrounded by his family. Steve was born in Phoenix, AZ on December 14, 1963. He is survived by wife, Karlyn Knight Heeder; daughters Jessica Low (Jacob), Morgan, Anna Heeder (José Segura), Camilla King (Joshua), and Rachel; parents Robert and Alona Heeder; and grandchildren Charlotte and Bentley Low.
Steve was known for his life of service and love for his family. As a child he often got into mischief with his older siblings and friends. There was even one time when he and his friends locked all of the bathroom doors at their high school and put an outhouse in front of the entrance. But, Steve was fond of saying that meeting Karlyn helped him go straight. After nearly three years of knowing each other and falling in love, they got married in the Idaho Falls Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Steve and Karlyn moved to Arizona in 1990 where they made many lifelong friends. Despite having two (then three and four) children, going to school full time, and working full time, Steve made time for church service. He was active in his church wards where he spent several years working with the Boy Scouts. Sometimes he even took his daughters to scouts with him where he taught them knots, plant identification, and other merit badge worthy skills.
In 2000 Steve and family moved to the Bear Lake valley in Idaho. There he was an unwavering advocate for children and education. He continually worked to increase educational opportunities and strengthen extracurricular programs for kids, especially at Bear Lake Middle School where he was principal for ten years. Even being diagnosed with cancer and going through chemo was approached as a teaching moment for his students. He taught them about how to talk to people who were ill, wrote “Go Cubs” on his bald head, and posed for pictures.
Family was Steve’s greatest joy, and he worked relentlessly to make a better life for them. He adored his wife, Karlyn, and wanted his daughters to know it, which is why he would often hold her hand or kiss her in front of the kids. As the father of 5 daughters he cared deeply about raising strong, empowered women, which he did. He also threw himself into his daughters’ interests, even when it meant going to musicals when he actually wanted to watch football. More recently Steve found joy as a grandpa.
In the last year of his life, Steve and Karlyn bravely decided to fulfill a lifelong dream of his and moved to Puerto Rico to live on the beach. The experience was a joy and blessing that he gladly shared with everyone who wanted to visit.
Memorial services will be held at the Bern Ward Chapel at 11 am on Saturday, January 29, 2022. Viewings will be held at the Bern Church on Friday from 6-8 pm and Saturday from 9:30-10:30 am.
Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at Matthews Mortuary.