Richard "Dick" Kenneth Steele Sr.

Richard Kenneth Steele, Sr (Dick) of Valley View went to be with the Lord and passed away peacefully at home on January 16, 2021.

Funeral mass will be held at 11:00 AM Wednesday, January 20, 2021 at the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Gainesville with Rev. John Pacheco officiating. Burial will follow in the Valley View Cemetery. A rosary with visitation to follow will be held at 6:00 PM Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at the Geo. J. Carroll & Son Funeral Home. The family asks that people attending the services wear a mask.

He was born May 26, 1940 in Geneva, NY to Kenneth and Florence Guest Rosenthal and later raised by his mother and Stepfather Lewis Steele after Kenneth was killed in WWII.

He graduated from the University of Rochester in 1963 with a degree in Optical Engineering and was a member of Delta Upsilon fraternity and on the wrestling team.  Dick worked in the aerospace industry in Southern California and started his company Optek.  He moved his family to Dallas, Texas and founded the companies Optical Associates and Texas Coating labs.  After working in Florida for several years, he made his way back to Texas working for Philips/Vari-Lite.  Dick was a leader in the optical field with many patents from the defense industry to entertainment stage lighting.   He had an affinity for cars and equipment and was always buying, selling, or fixing things.  He was a member of St. Mary’s Church and the Knights of Columbus #4771 in Denton, TX.  He spent his final retirement years at God’s Breath Ranch in Valley View enjoying the scenery, animals, his Church, and family.  Dick embodied kindness and humility and his family will remember his quirky sense of humor and “bad Dad jokes”.

Our beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend leaves behind his loving wife of 32 years Sally Jane Steele and his stepdaughter Catherine Lane of Gainesville, his son Richard Kenneth Steele, Jr and wife Carol of Plano TX, (and grandchildren Cpt. R Michael Steele of Oahu, HI, Rachel Marie Steele of Chicago, IL and Thomas Caleb Steele of Dallas, TX), his daughter Elizabeth Steele Raveling of The Hague, The Netherlands (and grandchildren Alexandra Noelle Raveling and great granddaughter Sia of Falls Church, VA, Christian Philip Raveling of Boise, ID and Sophia Grace Raveling of The Hague, The Netherlands), his son Robert Lewis Steele of Carrollton, TX (and grandsons Robert Alexander Steele of McKinney, TX, and Dustin Morgan Steele),  granddaughter Meghan Kirley of Spokane, WA grandsons Hunter and Chase Lane-Costello of Lake Placid, FL (children of Dick’s late step-son James Frederick Lane). He is survived by his brother William Steele and family of Waterloo, NY and was preceded in death by his parents, sister Linda Witt, and many close friends.

For those wishing to make a donation, In lieu of flowers, please donate to St Jude’s Children’s Hospital.