Obituary

Steven M. Vanko, 62, passed peacefully at home on the morning of June 9, 2018 after a hard-fought battle with pancreatic cancer. Steve is survived by his wife Mary Beth “Madge” Vanko, his children Steven Vanko and his wife Kati, Danielle Curlett and her husband Jack, Nichole Cook and her husband Josh, and Michelle Winterburn and her husband Waylon; grandchildren Aylah, Calvin, Paislee, Cordelia, Margaret, Sofia, Oliver, and Everly; brothers Adrian Vanko and Andrew Vanko of Ohio, as well as dear friends old and new. He was preceded in death by his parents Thurman and Helen Mae Vanko and his brother Theodore F. Vanko.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, he was the eldest son of Helen and Thurman Vanko. Steve left his hometown of Etna, Ohio and moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1981. He met his loving wife of 35 years in 1982. The family moved to Washington State in 1995 where he found a beloved new home. A shop supervisor in facilities management at Western Washington University, Steve was a loving and dedicated husband and family man who cherished time with his wife, children, grandchildren, and close friends. Steve enjoyed all sports but was an avid fan of baseball and Nascar, loved fishing, and enjoyed golf. He also had a great love and appreciation of music that served as a background for the experiences and relationships in his life. His strength, insight, and sense of humor will be dearly missed by his loved ones and friends. If Steve could pass along something at this time, he would say “Be kind to one another.” PEACE.

A celebration of Steve’s life will be held at 1:30 pm, July 29, 2018 at the Dome room of the Bellingham Ferry Terminal at 355 Harris Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. All those who knew and loved Steve are welcomed to attend.

“You belong among the wildflowers,
You belong in a boat out at sea
Far away from any trouble or worry,
You belong somewhere you feel free”

Tom Petty