Surf Cat

Posted: 10:28 am, April 17, 2020 by News Staff

–Steven unexpectedly passed away on April 9th at his home in Eloy, AZ. He was born November 25, 1970 in Palm Springs, CA. While living in the cove of Cathedral City, he was close to many family members, which he saw daily. As a fearless bike rider, he built ramps out of wood and jumps in the desert. He played outside with the neighborhood kids and cousins until the streetlights came on. He later moved to Paso Robles where he attended High school. This is where you saw him skateboarding through the streets of Paso.

Steven loved to spend time surfing and skimboarding in Cayucos or anywhere there was water. He then moved back to Palm Springs and attended Palm Springs High School, where you saw Steven driving around in his cool red VW Bug, pushing it to its limits. He graduated from Palm Springs High school in 1988 and moved around the west coast, usually following his dad or close by. He was a painter, using the homes of clients as his canvas to paint murals, which expressed his passion for art. This creative talent had to have rubbed off on him from his mom. Steven had various skills in the construction force and was exceptionally talented. He gave it 110-percent. Graduating from AAI he earned his certification in welding in Glendale, AZ which led to his current employment at UCT located in Chandler, AZ. Steven was excited to be part of this company and being involved in making these massive projects with metals and paint. He was an adventurous and outdoors type of guy, who loved sketching, painting, motor sports, anything with wheels or had to do with speed, camping, hiking, fishing, all types of music and building or rebuilding anything he could get his hands on. His dad, which was a mechanic, helped Steven through the years with many of his vehicles and shared the title “Jack of all trades.”

Steven had a hysterical side to him, known as a jokester. The stories he told, imitations he did or when you heard him say “Remember when we……” you knew you were going to crack up. His infectious smile was bright and energetic. His sister would always refer to him as Arnold Schwarzenegger from the movie Twins and herself as Danny DeVito. He had all the good looks and she was his sidekick, it made him laugh but he was brewing with confidence. Steven will truly be missed. His memory lives on with his Father John Kunkel, Mother Connie Grey, Sister Kristen Acevedo, Niece Lauren, family and friends.

The Paso Robles Daily News publishes local obituaries and death notices free of charge from individuals and local funeral homes. See information and tips here on writing an obituary. Please submit the obituary a few days before services, if possible. To submit an obituary, please email it to skye@accesspublishing.com with “obituary” in the subject line. Please email a photo along with the obituary.

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