Steven Fredrick Suter

Steven Frederick Suter aged 68 died on Thursday, October 6^th at Essentia Hospital in Fargo, N.D surrounded by his family. Steve fought a valiant fight against the beast of cancer for over two years. He was born on March 11, 1954, in Detroit Lakes, Mn., the youngest of five in the family of Mabel and Clarence Suter.  He grew up in Detroit Lakes and graduated from Detroit Lakes High School with the class of ’72.

Steve joined the U. S. Navy in 1972 and served honorably for three years including two long tours of duty in Vietnam aboard the aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Hancock, as a flight deck aviation technician. Rumor was that Subic Bay; the Philippines port had its largest liquid beverage sales ever after Squadron VR-24 which Steve was a team member on, left there after a long deployment. His service years were important to Steve by virtue of his lifetime membership with the VFW.

After his discharge from the U.S. Navy, he graduated from both the Staples Community Technical College and the Detroit Lakes Community and Technical College.  His career was spent working in the construction field with Kost Bros., and Ernest Anderson.

Steve’s hobbies and interests were many and varied. He began in his youth a lifelong love of the outdoors and nature learned from his dad.  His passion for fishing, especially winter spearing and hunting continued throughout his life with his many friends and nephews. From the infancy of the sport of snowmobiling in the 60’s Steve developed an undying love of it. He enjoyed snowmobiling and riding off road vehicles especially his Ranger as well as collecting vintage items from Polaris. Additionally, he loved railfanning and taking long distance trips on Amtrak especially to the desert southwest area. Equally important to him was enjoying time spent either in his mancave garage or over backyard campfires with his life partner Joni, and their friends. As well he thoroughly enjoyed trips Joni and he made to Nascar races in Las Vegas.

He is survived by Joni Johnson, and her siblings, Terry, Dean, Sherlyn and Greg, as well as his siblings, Marilyn, Patricia, Joyce and brother Mike and wife Mary. There are also 11 nieces and nephews that had many great and memorable times with Steve.  Lastly, but not least he is survived by his beloved dogs, Wendell and Charlotte.