Memorial
Stephen E. Davis, 73, of Cedar Rapids, passed away on Sunday, April 19th, 2026, at the Dennis & Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Iowa. Visitation will be from 4pm - 7pm, Friday, April 24th, 2026, in the Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories Stateroom. Funeral services will be held in the Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories at 11am, Saturday, April 25th, 2026, with a reception to follow.
Steve was born on January 24, 1953, in Knoxville, Tennessee, to William Cecil Davis & Burla (Monger) Davis. His family moved to Pekin, Illinois when he was young & Steve graduated from Pekin Community High School in 1971. The following Fall, Steve enlisted in the US Army, a decision that would change his life forever!
Steve completed basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana and was sent to the Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 25th Aviation Battalion at Schofield Barracks in Oahu, Hawaii for active duty. Steve trained in communications, just as his father had done when he was in the Army. While enlisted, Steve earned the rank of Specialist 4th class and earned the National Defense Service Medal as well as a Good Conduct Medal.
One fateful afternoon, Steve (never the athlete) engaged in a rousing game of Army football on the beach. As one might surmise, it didn’t end well for Steve. He broke his arm in multiple places, requiring immediate surgery. While convalescing at Tripler Army Medical Center, in Honolulu, a Captain in the Army Nurse Corps, who was caring for him, stole his heart. Steve reminisced that after their first date, they were never apart again. Steve married Kathleen Hernandez Meyer on May 24th, 1975, in La Porte City, Iowa. They returned to Hawaii to finish their tours before being honorably discharged.
Steve & Kathy settled in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1976 and bought a home, where they resided for nearly 50 years together and raised their 3 children. Steve took great pride in his home and community. He built an addition on their home single-handedly, incorporating reclaimed woodwork that blended so seamlessly, even the home inspector could not determine where the old home stopped and the new addition began. Steve was also a founding member of the Wellington Heights Neighborhood Association. During this time, Steve was employed by the United States Postal Service, working his way from janitor to area maintenance specialist over his 32 years there.
Steve was a character, to say the least. His endless stream of “dad jokes” (Does it hurt when you do that?) and quick wit, made him truly unforgettable. Steve always had room at his table (“Eat up! We don’t like leftovers!”) and plenty of tools to share. He was the first to lend a hand and never afraid to advocate for what was right. He loved sharing his homemade jalapeno jelly and peanut brittle, which would never come as just a sample-- it always included a copy of the recipe. Steve loved to visit Riverside Casino weekly (“They play the music way too loud!”) and hand out wintergreen mints to all his Wednesday friends.
Of all the things that Steve enjoyed, being a husband, father, and grandfather was at the top of his list. He loved to teach his children and grandchildren all the things he thought they should know. If you had the chance to talk with Steve, you would undoubtedly hear all about it.
Kathy and Steve were soulmates from the moment they met and spent 48 years together before her passing in 2023. Steve was his family’s fiercest protector and was the rock on which their character and treasured memories were formed.
Left to chuckle endlessly at memories of him are his three children, Jamie Davis Cummins (Scott Thorne), Jennifer Facion, and Jesse (Laurel) Davis as well as his grandchildren, Connor & Caelan Cummins, Taryn Courtney-Facion, Emersyn Facion, and Alan & Steven Davis, all of Cedar Rapids. Steve is also survived by one sister-in-law as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Steve was preceded in death by his parents, his cherished wife, Kathy, two brothers, a sister-in- law, and a son-in-law.
If you find yourself driving on a country road in Iowa and you see a herd of cows grazing, please remember Steve’s profound words…“Do you know why those cows are eating? Because they are hungry.”... then smile in his honor.
The family would like to thank the entire staff at Mercy Hospital, as well as the Mercy Hospice House for the kind and exceptional care that was provided to Steve (The Candyman) in his final days.
Memorials may be directed to the family for donations in Steve’s honor to be determined at a later time.