Stephen Stanley Fogle Sr. Fortified with the Sacraments of Holy Mother Church passed away Saturday May 30, 2020, at the age of 76. Steve was born on May 21, 1944, in Wolfhurst, Ohio, the only son of Stanley and Edith Fogle.

A graduate of St. John Central High School and Carnegie College, Steve was married to his high school sweetheart, Margie (Glaser) Fogle, for 43 wonderful years before she was taken far too young at the age of 59. Together they had four children: son Stephen who passed away in 1990, sons Jim and Matt, daughter Amy Grigsby, and son in law Bruce, whom Steve simply called “Brewster”.

Steve was quick to lean on the talents of his kids whenever necessary. Jim was his first call for anything outside the house because he could fix anything. If he couldn’t, he always “had a guy” who could. Matt handled 24-hour tech support for computers and TVs and was a willing outlet for his bursts of knowledge he just had to share. Bruce got the job of fixing the projects Steve would start himself only to realize (but never admit) that he was in over his head. Amy managed his finances, and by virtue of living the closest handled pretty much anything else he needed. She was #1 on his speed dial, and the only number written in pen.

Lightning rarely strikes twice, but for Steve it did when he met Carol. Being able to love and be loved again breathed fresh air into Steve’s life. He had someone to laugh with, someone to cook for, and more importantly someone to share his stories with. Carol, a retired nurse of whose patience is rivaled only by a remarkable few, was more than content to let Steve be Steve. She happily turned over control of the kitchen to Steve and very wisely agreed to “just handle the dishes.” Steve had a passion for food and was an absolutely wonderful cook. He could make a side dish taste so good you would have thought it was the main event and his evolution as a cook took him through many cultures. It was through this journey we learned our old dog Duffy did not like snow peas. Steve was cooking through an Asian cookbook at the time and put some stir-fry on Duffy’s food, only to watch and scowl as Duffy picked each snow pea out and dropped them into a pile on the side of his bowl.

When it came to wine, his palate was unmatched. Steve was constantly in search of the next great bottle, which he said should NEVER cost more than $10. He would read, research, and try new bottles while taking the time to decant even the cheapest “bottle of red”. This was often done despite the annoyance of his impatient kids, who usually just wanted a glass of wine without the wait.

There was no question that Steve’s passion was his Catholic faith. Just as he had done with food and wine, his faith too had evolved. The guy who some remember splashing water on them from the baptismal font in the aisle at St John and James in Ferguson gave himself wholeheartedly to his faith and in the last few decades became a true student of the bible. Steve wasn’t a casual study of anything and he read and studied his bible daily and could have easily taught classes. These last few months saw him in and out of hospitals, and it was his faith that sustained him. Even in the time of COVID-19, when visitors to hospitals were not allowed, he had his rosary to keep him company, never being truly alone.

Steve was lucky enough to be called Grandpa by 8 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren and although coming from a small family made him a cousin to a precious few, he married into a big family, making him cousin, brother and uncle to many. Steve had a laugh that drew crowds, a voice that didn’t need a microphone, and never hesitated to share his sense of humor with others.

Steve had a passion for learning, from fun facts and big words to tidbits and obscure knowledge. He would say often “Be smarter when you go to bed than you were when you woke up” and he lived this passion through his “learn something new every day” attitude. It was this passion for learning that drove his longstanding desire to donate his body to science, giving him the chance to teach others something new one last time through that most selfless of donations.

After he retired Steve gave his time without reservation to the Society of St. Vincent DePaul and wore the badge of “Vincentian” with pride. He was a caseworker, spiritual advisor, and president of his conference.

A memorial mass will be celebrated on August 15^th, 2020 at 10:00am at Immaculate Conception Church, Dardenne Prairie, MO at 10:00am. A reception will follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Society of St. Vincent DePaul, care of Immaculate Conception Church of Dardenne Prairie, 7701 Highway N, O’Fallon, MO 63368.