Joseph Richard Steffl, 30, a resident of the Faulkner Road, near Bowden, departed this life Sunday afternoon, April 28, 2002, as a result of a kayaking accident near Bemis.
He was born Oct. 20, 1971, at Wooster, Ohio, a son of Richard Steffl and Shirley Flick Steffl, who survive at Point Pleasant, Ohio.
On Dec. 20, 1999, at Elkins, he was married to the former Robin Dadisman, who survives at Elkins.
Also surviving are two sisters, Julie Steffl, Chapel Hill, N.C., and Melissa Walther, Stefene, Bermuda; his paternal grandmother, Wilma Steffl, Point Pleasant, Ohio; two stepsons, Cody and Sam Wagner, Moatsville; and his mother-in-law, Saundra Dadisman, Philippi.
He was preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, Walter Steffl; his maternal grandparents, Victor Bunyon and Martha Flick Bunyon; and his father-in-law, Kenneth Dadisman.
He was an outstanding football and baseball player during his middle school years. He was a graduate of Bellaire Saint John High School at Bellaire, Ohio, with the class of 1990. He attended West Liberty State College and was a graduate of Alderson-broaddus College with the class of 1998, receiving his bachelor of science degree in medical science. He was employed as a physician’s assistant for Mason Todd Corder, D.O., from May of 1998 until April of 2000. He was a former employee of Broaddus Hospital in Philippi. He served as physician’s assistant and acting administrator of the Northern Pocahontas County Health Clinic at Durbin at the time of his death. He also worked at the Tri-county Health Center at Rock Cave. He was an emergency technician, being affiliated with the Bartow-franklin-durbin Rescue Squad at Durbin and was a member of Pocahontas County Search and Rescue Team.
He was a member of the American Academy of Physician’s Assistants, the National Academy of Physician’s Assistants and the West Virginia Primary Care Association. He was an avid outdoorsman and was adored by his child patients. He was a Catholic.
Friends will be received at Lohr & Barb Funeral Home from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. today. A funeral service will be held at the funeral home chapel Wednesday at 2 p.m. with Pastor R.D. Ice officiating. Mr. Steffl will then be moved to Borkoski Funeral Home at Adena, Ohio, where friends may call from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday. Final rites will be conducted at the funeral home chapel Friday at 11 a.m. Monsignor John C. Kolesar will officiate and interment will follow at Holly Memorial Gardens at Colerain, Ohio. The family suggests that expressions of sympathy be in the form of contributions to the Friends of the Cheat, PO Box 182, Bruceton Mills, W.Va. 26525.
