Birth date: Mar 2, 1954 Death date: Jul 15, 2016
On July 15, 2016 Steven Jon Rodning Beloved Husband of Celeste Ann Collier (nee Kemper) Devoted Son of Richard A. and Elaine C. Rodning. Loving Father of Philip and Kirsten Rodning, Jessica Fawley and her Husband Roger, Carley Czy Read Obituary
We were transferred to Lancaster, CA in 1967 and one of the first things we did was to attend church. To our good fortune we met the Rodning family that day and they became life-long friends. Steve and Nathan became close friends to our son, Bruce and we could not have asked for a greater influence than they had on Bruce. We always admired the wonderful talent Steve had with his music and his willingness to share that enjoyment with others. Steve was always a positive person with a healthy laugh and a pleasure to have as a friend. When his family moved from Lancaster to Montana, Steve lived with us for a few months, while he completed high school. It was a joy to have him in our home and we treated him like our own son. Steve's faith was an inspiration to us and it never wavered. We spoke on the phone and Steve made It easy to say goodbye as he was assured of his future. Thanks to God for having Steve as a part of our lives, he will always be remembered. Joan & Curt Holt
I will always remember Steve as the 'friendly, happy guy in the suit' standing on the platform of the Halethorpe MARC train station at o-dark-thirty in the morning, rain or shine, cold or hot. I watched Steve chat with all the regular commuters, always with a smile and always with good stories. Steve never talked about himself, but instead asked how others were doing and engaging people in conversation. Very refreshing to see human interaction in our electronic world. There is an empty place on the platform now, but Steve will never be forgotten.
-Sharon (commuter friend)
My dear friend, Celeste,
My heart goes out to you and your family on this day. Words cannot express how truly sorry I am for your loss. Please take comfort in knowing you will be supported today and always by the people that love you and Steve.
Genny DeBold Robertson
I send my sincere condolences to Celeste,the Rodning family, friends, and colleagues.
When the Newseum opened I met Steve and from the first day he was happy everyday he came to work. His office was across from mine and you knew Steve was making somebody's day brighter because if you was in his office for anything before you left you would be laughing about something. To his wife, thanks for making Steve happy everyday because everyone who he met was happier after knowing Steve.
God Bless you, his family, and his friends
Johnathan LeGrant
The Rodning boys — Steve and Nate — were two of my best friends when I was growing up in Lancaster, California. When his family moved away, Steve stayed behind and moved in with the Holt family to finish his senior year in high school. At that point, he became my "big brother." He had a cool trombone; I had to have the same one. The first solo I played was one he had played. He had a cool orange 10-speed bike; I had to settle for the white one. Algebra made no sense to me until Steve explained it. I listened slack-jawed as Steve improvised gorgeous tunes at the piano — he even said he liked the accompanying beats I banged out on a hymnal. He challenged himself to longer-distance bike riding and invited me along. I still remember his recommendations that started my lifelong interest in classical music. Not once did he ever make me feel like an annoying freshman.
Although we hadn't communicated with each other in many years, Steve and I shared a phone conversation about a year or two ago. We seemed to have picked up where we had left off. He still seemed like my older brother, offering wisdom and perspective about family, work and life. I heard the laugh and felt the optimism. He was still Steve, no doubt about it.
We said our good-byes to each other last week. The phone call was not easy for me to make, but, true to form, Steve made *me* feel at peace. He said he'd see me on the other side. I believe him.
