Stephen "Steve" Suchy

SUCHY, Stephen (Steve), age 99, of Centerville, Ohio passed away peacefully on December 21, 2020 of natural causes.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Vera (Sherwood); his children, Steven (Phyllis) Suchy, Edward Suchy, Anita (Eric) Sepp, Julia (Bret) Turley; his grandchildren Eric, Krista, Jonathan, Lauren, Garrett, and Elizabeth; his great-grandchild Syndi Ray; and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents John and Julia (Ralbovsky) Suchy; his brothers, John Suchy, Joe Suchy, Paul Suchy; his sister, Theresa Lenz; and his grandson, Steven Turley.

Stephen was born November 8, 1921 in Hoboken, New Jersey to John and Julia Suchy and grew up in Queens, New York. He attended New York School of Professional Art on a scholarship, and worked in his father’s shoe repair shop. He then worked as a machinist in the Queens Machine Company producing military parts for the government until he was drafted into the Army Air Corps in 1943. He served as a trained aircraft and engine mechanic on C46 and C47 cargo and troop transport aircraft during World War II. He was a sergeant assigned to the 311th troop carrier squadron, part of the 349th troop carrier group.

After the war, he focused on work in art and lettering. He studied at the Art Students League in New York and trained as a commercial artist. He worked at Wright Patterson AFB as an artist/illustrator for four and a half years. Most of his career as a commercial artist was at National Cash Register Company (NCR) in Dayton, Ohio for 32 years until 1983.

During his career and after, he sold his artwork by commission. He was well known throughout the Miami Valley as a wonderful art instructor. Talented in his own right, he was able to convey his skills to others in a thoughtful and humorous manner. He taught portrait and landscape art classes at Kettering Adult School, Centerville Adult School, Springfield Community College, Middletown Fine Arts Center, and Wright Patterson Air Force Base Officers Wives Art Club. He also served as a past President of the Western Ohio Watercolor Society.

He will be dearly missed by his wife, children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and all of his friends and neighbors. Private family services. A livestream will be held Monday, December 28 at 10:30am on Routsong Funeral Home’s YouTube Page.