Steven John Daib

Steve was the only son of Ammon Jul Sexe and Betty Jean Bruzer. He was born in Rock Rapids, Iowa, on 18 August, 1947 and spent his early years on the Sexe family farm near Hills, Minnesota. His parents divorced when he was about four years old. After the divorce, Steve’s father gave up custody, and they did not meet again until Steve was in his forties. Steve graduated from Lutheran High School in Denver, Colorado. After high school, he attended Colorado State University and the University of Colorado. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in accounting and minor in mathematics from Metropolitan State University in Denver. After graduating, he passed the CPA exam and met the requirements to become a Certified Public Accountant. While working full time, he earned a Master of Business Administration degree with emphasis in finance from Illinois Benedictine University. Steve met the love of his life in Denver in 1972. They were married in Estes Park, Colorado. Steve adored Diane’s parents, and they loved him like a son. He was thrilled to be a part of a big happy family. In 1988, Steve reconnected with his biological father. Although Steve regretted not having him in his life as he was growing up, he was thrilled to learn he had three more half siblings. After they met, he relished every minute he was able to spend with his new found family. Steve loved to downhill ski. After he graduated from college, he was offered a dream job working in Vail, Colorado. It wasn’t easy to go to the office on days when there was fresh powder. He loved to be the first one down the slopes, so he sometimes squeezed in a couple of runs before he went to work. After he tired of Vail, he got a job in Denver working for an oil and gas company. The company had several offices in South America. Steve enjoyed many great work trips to Argentina, Peru, Columbia, and Brazil. Because he was very enthusiastic about skiing, he was asked to plan a few company ski trips. Everyone was guaranteed a good time, when Steve organized a ski trip. In Raleigh, he was the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer for Geophex, a geophysical research and instrumentation company. In that position, he enjoyed his official role in the administrative branch of the company and also enjoyed learning about the science. Because he was a talented mechanic, he sometimes helped with equipment design and work in the field, which he thoroughly enjoyed. In his leisure time, he enjoyed going to Denver Bronco games, playing two-man volley ball, playing football, skiing, camping, fishing, socializing with friends, and trying all the great restaurants in the area. When the rigorous sports became too much for his aging body, he renewed his early interest in golf. He enjoyed many hours trying to perfect his game and golfing with friends, neighbors, and strangers, who often became friends. He found the Carolina beaches very relaxing; he and Diane spent a lot of time there. Steve never met a stranger. He collected friends everywhere he went. He played with his nieces and nephews with exuberance and joy. When the kids were young, they climbed on him as if he was a jungle gym, and he loved it. The neighbor kids would come running and jump into his arms. If he wasn’t outside, they’d ring the doorbell looking for him. One of Steve’s passions from a young age was cars, particularly Porsches. He started buying and restoring Porsches, when he was in his late teens and early 20s. He owned many beautiful cars throughout the years. Steve was a very sensitive and compassionate person. He loved life and didn’t let little things get in the way of his enjoyment. Unfortunately, he had multiple health issues. He had rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis and had several joint replacements, two back surgeries, and multiple other surgeries. With a great team of specialists, he successfully fought head and neck cancer. He always had a positive attitude. He said he was a great patient, and he truly was. He was tolerant and cooperative even when the providers were not competent and caring. Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease claimed Steve’s life on 4 August 2019. Steve was a big guy with a big heart and beautiful blue eyes. He had a positive impact on a lot of peoples’ lives and will be greatly missed. He was preceded in death by his father, mother, two step-fathers, father-in-law, mother-in-law, and grandparents. He is survived by his wife, two brothers, three sisters, his wife’s five siblings, 19 nieces and nephews, and 18 grand nieces and nephews. Steve will be buried at Raleigh Memorial Park on August 12, 2019 at 1:00 P.M. A memorial service will be held at the Renaissance Funeral Home, 7615 Six Forks Road, Raleigh, NC 27615, on August 24, 2019 at 1:00 P.M.

Steven John Daib

August 18, 1947 - August 4, 2019