Stephen Seiler

Stephen A. Seiler (Steve), died peacefully on May 30, 2026 with his beloved wife, Gayle, by his side. A Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday, June 10 at 10:00 am at The Church of Saint Benedict in Broken Arrow, OK with Fr. Bryan Brooks celebrating the Mass. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Up With Trees in Tulsa or the donor’s choice. Steve was born to Ray and Ruth (Neuhaus) Seiler on October 22, 1944, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Ray and Ruth raised Steve on the family farm along with his three sisters, Carol, Judy and Rita and his two brothers, Joe and John. Steve graduated from New Haven High School in 1963. Steve was a trailblazer in the family. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1964 where he was stationed as a medic at Hof Air Station, a mere 5 kilometers from the Soviet Zone. During his time in the military, he traveled throughout much of Europe and these adventures profoundly impacted his world view. Following his military service, Steve was among the first in his family to attend college. He enrolled at Dominican College inRacine, Wisconsin and graduated cum laude. While in college, Steve studied to be a brother with the Salvatorians. A chance encounter at a multi-college dance held at Mount Saint Paul College in Waukesha, Wisconsin dramatically altered those plans when Steve met his prairie princess, Gayle Kukowski. Steve married Gayle, the love of his life, on August 7, 1971, at St. Mary’s Chapel in historic Medora, North Dakota. They welcomed their son, Nathan, in 1974, and their daughter, Heather, in 1977. Steve spent the early part of his career in Kmart’s management training program. At Kmart, Steve helped open multiple stores throughout the Midwest. Steve and Gayle purchased their first home in Decatur, Illinois. Steve’s “handiwork” was readily on display in this home ranging from the painted front porch to the unique and notable plaster work in the stairs leading down to the basement. Growing weary of the frequent moves with Kmart, Steve took a brief hiatus from retail and tried his hand at farming, ranchingand servicing oil wells with his in-laws in Beach, North Dakota. Deciding he was better suited for retail management, Steve returned to retail in 1982 working for Napa in Glendive, Montana. During his time in Glendive, Steve put his hat in the ring as Scout Leader when it looked like Nathan and the other boys in his class wouldn’t have a troop. While admittedly not a man in the mold of Grizzly Adams, Steve instead took inspiration fromhis military training preparing the boys to pass rigorous uniform inspections. Being a staunch proponent of education, Steve ran for the school board in Glendive. Although he wasn’t undulyoptimistic about his chances of being elected (he laughed out loud when he read in the paper that he had received 96 votes), he ran as it gave him a platform to advocate for improvements in the school district that were important to both him and his wife, a trained educator. A move to the retail arm of Conagra in 1986 saw Steve and his family move to Oroville, California where he often took his children to Lake Oroville to swim. A promotion at Conagra brought the family to Fremont, Nebraska in 1989 where, among other things, the family adopted Meinrad, a rescue dog, named in honor of one of the first Seiler’s to immigrate to the United States. In 1992, Steve, Gayle and Heather moved to Oklahoma where they would put down more permanent roots settling into Broken Arrow for over 30 years. For the past three years, Steve was a dedicated and unparalleled caregiver to Gayle as she battled cancer. Steve was well known for his (often quirky) sense of humor. He was a history buff and had a strong interest in current events and politics. He finished many a day reading the copy of Time Magazine on his nightstand before falling asleep. His sporting fandom often tracked his current geography although he remained devoted to the Fighting Irish throughout. Before age began to take a heavy toll, Steve enjoyed taking regular walks, tending to his yard (he planted multiple trees in his yard in memory of family members) and feeding the local birds (a devotion shared with his father). Steve is survived by his wife Gayle, of Broken Arrow, OK, his daughter Heather (Alex) Donnelly and grandchildren Elizabeth, Grace and Michael of Owasso, OK; his son Nathan (Valerie) Seiler and grandchildren Meredith, Olivia and Milaina of Erie, CO; his sister Carol Davito of Oklahoma City, OK; his sister Judy Dole of Fort Wayne, IN; his brother John Seiler of Fort Wayne, IN; in addition to many nieces, nephews, and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, Ray and Ruth.

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Stephen Seiler

October 22, 1944 - May 30, 2026