Steven Mendola
(1969 - 2020)
Obituary
We lost Steven James Mendola in a fatal
car crash on Monday (Jan. 13, 2020).
Steven was born on May 10, 1969, in
Buffalo, New York. His parents, Chris and Sally (Hoffman) Mendola,
moved to Ocala, Florida, where Steve grew up making many lifelong
friends. He graduated from Forest High School and the University of
Florida, where he maintained a 3.9 GPA and achieved a Bachelor and
Master of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering with a Minor
in Business Management. He was a certified lifeguard and swim
instructor and volunteered thousands of hours for Red Cross and
coaching children's sports teams. He also served as a Church
Elder/Deacon for several years at St. John Lutheran Church in Ocala,
Florida.
Steven met his wife, Serena, in middle
school. They dated through college and were married on Oct. 23, 1993.
They worked together as engineers for Motorola in Boynton Beach,
Florida, for several years. Then they moved back to their hometown of
Ocala, where they worked together again at ClosetMaid. Steven went on
to become a Plant Manager for a few small companies around Ocala
before moving with his family to Moundridge in 2016. Steve recently
worked as a Production Manager for Excel Industries in Hesston.
Steve and Serena have two boys. Piercen
(20) graduated from Hesston High School and is currently attending
Kansas State University. He's currently a library ambassador at
K-state and volunteers as a middle school boys basketball coach in
Manhattan. Teague (17) is a junior at Hesston High School. He is very
active with Robotics, and he plays the violin for church (Zion
Lutheran Church) and as part of the BCAPA tour group. Steven loved
spending time with his family, especially watching his boys play
basketball, football, soccer, violin and robot competitions. He took
his loved ones on many family vacations to the mountains and beaches,
including a motorcycle tour of the Ozarks with his wife last fall for
their 26th wedding anniversary. He was a wonderful cook and loved to
barbecue and smoke (his smoked jerky, cheese, and seasonings were
practically famous).
His father still lives in Ocala. His
mother passed away last January. His brother, Jeff Mendola, lives in
Cheektowage, New York, with his wife, Brenda, and their children
Kara, Abby and Lauren. His sister, Cindi (Mendola) Williams, lives in
Marietta, Georgia, with her husband, Kip, and their children,
Symphony and Journey.
Cremation is planned. His final resting
place will be in Ocala, Florida. A memorial service will be at 2 p.m.
Saturday (Jan. 18, 2020) at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Newton.
In lieu of flowers, memorial
contributions for Piercen's and Teague's education fund may be made
payable to Serena Mendola and can be mailed to Moundridge Funeral
Home, P.O. Box 410, Moundridge, KS. 67107.
