Stephen Mays

Stephen Anthony Mays,

65, Bismarck, ND, died

Tuesday, June 15, 2021 in

his home.

Stephen Anthony Mays

was born to Stephen B.

and Carol J. (Dieter) Mays.

Steve always did things a

little different. He backed

into the world on

Mother’s Day, May 13,

1956 in Spokane, WA,

where his father was sta-

tioned at Fairchild Air

Force Base. He was born

both breach and

transverse. Wasn’t expect-ed to survive, but he did

through his 65th birthday

last month. He was very

proud of getting his Medi-

care card.

After living in Spokane,

the family was sent to

Denver, CO, where his

dad attended school for 6

months, then the family

transferred to Springfield,

MA, where his dad was

stationed with the new

B-52s at Westover Air

Force Base. While there

his sister Sally joined the

family in 1957. After

several years the family

transferred to Warner Ro-

bins, GA, the new duty

station for his dad. While

there, both Steve and Sal-

ly attended nursery

school, where they picked

up some special stools

which they had for years.

While there, Steve and his

friend, Jimmy, attended

kindergarten at Sacred

Heart Catholic Church. In

1962, the family

transferred to Minot Air

Force Base, ND, where the

family lived for ten years

when his dad was as-

signed instructor duty

there. While there both

Steve and his sister, Sally,

attended Little Flower

Grade School and they

both graduated from

Bishop Ryan Catholic

School.

Steve then attended

Minot State University

and graduated with a

business degree. After

that he started graduate

school at the University of

North Dakota through ex-

tension classes for Busi-

ness Management at

Minot Air Force Base.

After graduation, Steve

started Quikklean, a busi-

ness cleaning service.

After a few years he left

the business and joined I.

Keating Furniture in

Bismarck, ND, as their

computer man logging in

the new shipments and

keeping track of the in-

ventory where he worked

faithfully up until this

date, planning to go back

after he recovered from

his shingles, which,

through the side effects,

led to his premature

death. In his recovery his

dedicated sister, Sally

Quinn, with the help of

her husband Richard,

looked after him in his

Bismarck residence.

Over the years, the fam-

ily was very close and

every year made trips,

many of them camping

trips, throughout the

Midwest, the East and

South, and a few trips

into Canada, including a

trip across Canada on

their Trans-Canada High-

way to Niagara Falls, NY.

They often visited his

grandmother and her hus-

band who lived on a boat

on Chesapeake Bay in

Maryland and his other

grandparents in Illinois.

Steve loved his sister’s

children, Tiffiny and

Ethan, and took special

joy in Tiffiny’s two chil-

dren, Hollis and Vivian,

his grand nieces. A spe-

cial thank you to Chuck

and Nancy Kramer and all

those at I. Keating Furni-

ture in Bismarck for being

loyal friends over the

years and watching over

him and helping him

through life. Special

thanks to Kenny and

Brenda Reiner who looked

after Steve in a special

way. His whole life was

his job at I. Keatings. May

God bless them all.

Steve is survived by:

his father, Stephen B.

Mays, Minot; sister Sally

(Richard) Quinn, Minot;

niece, Tiffiny (Nate)

Wales; great nieces, Hollis

and Vivian, all of Austin,

TX and nephew, Ethan, of

Minot.

Steve was preceded in

death by: his mother,

Carol, who died in 2011.

A funeral will for Steve

will be held at a later date.

Those wishing to sign

an online guestbook are

asked to go to

www.thompson

larson.com.

Arrangements with

Thompson-Larson Fun-

eral Home, Minot, ND.