Stephen "Steve" Croom English passed away peacefully on October 3, 2022, at Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville, NC with his wife and daughter by his side.
A Native of North Carolina, Steve was the 5th of nine surviving children born to the late Edward Leland English and Adalene Pigford English on November 23, 1932, in Pender County. He graduated from Penderlea School in May of 1950 and earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering from North Carolina State University in 1958. He served in the United States Army from 1953 to 1955 as a corporal for the Military Police. He married his wife, Phyllis "PJ" Jean Whitfield on September 27, 1956.
Steve was employed with Ralston Purina Company as an engineer and consultant from 1958 to 1997 and lived in Charlotte, NC, Battlecreek, MI, and St. Louis, MO during his time of employment. After retiring, he and his wife moved to Hendersonville, NC in 2001 where he lived until his passing.
He was a devoted member of the First Presbyterian Church, and a uniquely kind and generous man, volunteering his time and energy to a vast array of organizations in order to assist those less fortunate than himself. Among these organizations are The Interfaith Assistance Ministry, The Children and Family Resource Center, and the North Carolina Arboretum. He also enjoyed spending time golfing, gardening, was an avid reader and traveled the world over.
Steve was hugely warm and charismatic, leaving a positive impact on all those he met throughout his journey in life. He had the ability to make you feel like you were the most important person in a room full of people; He was purely authentic, and genuinely proud of those he surrounded himself with.
He was humble, and enjoyed simple things like sitting outside and shelling boiled peanuts while telling stories of his experiences traveling the globe. He had a hearty laugh that echoed off of the walls while telling a joke. He carried a handkerchief everywhere he went and wore a button-down and khakis with a belt almost every day. He always smelled the same, his spicy aftershave permeating the air in the early mornings while he read the paper or did the crossword. His accent was unique, holding onto his roots with the way he hit a hard "t" at the end of "right", or "hat"; his southern way of pronouncing "guy" or "sky", and yet in his words you could hear influences of everywhere he had ever been.
He listened to you intently, internalized everything you said, and asked questions. He made it feel like what you knew could change his life if he could understand it and care for it the way you did. His passion for education lasted his entire life. He read books to underprivileged children, went to lifelong learning classes at the community center, attended all graduations, incentivized good grades, and whenever he would go on trips he would read every plaque intently, or listen to every presentation as an active, engaged participant, grasping at every scrap of knowledge he could retain, but he also made you want to learn and be better because of his own thirst for facts about history, literature, science, or mechanics. It's no wonder that his three children grew up to be educators in some capacity, and two of his grandchildren are teachers in underserved communities.
To be a friend of Steve's was to have an unwavering pillar of support. He was always willing to help in any way he could, was wise about a huge variety of topics, and would commiserate or find a silver lining when a trial or tribulation seemed too much to bear. He was selfless, philanthropic, and will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
He is predeceased by his mother and father, his siblings Edward Leland English Jr., Rosalyn English Burns, Ronald English, Juanita English Mann, and Amelia English.
Steve is lovingly survived by his wife, his children Deanna English, Douglas English, Edward English, and his siblings Frank English, Sally Berry, and Rose Winfree. Steve was also an unparalleled grandfather to six grandchildren, Erin Lawlor, Brendan Lawlor, Kristen English, Stephen English, Miranda Edwards, and Arlo English; and five great-grandchildren, Jaiden Edwards, Kylah Edwards, Knox Edwards, Gabriel Rodriguez-English, and Orla Lawlor.
In lieu of flowers, please send a donation in memory of Steve English to the Children and Family Resource Center at, 851 Case St. Hendersonville NC 28792
There will be a private celebration of life with family.
A Native of North Carolina, Steve was the 5th of nine surviving children born to the late Edward Leland English and Adalene Pigford English on November 23, 1932, in Pender County. He graduated from Penderlea School in May of 1950 and earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering from North Carolina State University in 1958. He served in the United States Army from 1953 to 1955 as a corporal for the Military Police. He married his wife, Phyllis "PJ" Jean Whitfield on September 27, 1956.
Steve was employed with Ralston Purina Company as an engineer and consultant from 1958 to 1997 and lived in Charlotte, NC, Battlecreek, MI, and St. Louis, MO during his time of employment. After retiring, he and his wife moved to Hendersonville, NC in 2001 where he lived until his passing.
He was a devoted member of the First Presbyterian Church, and a uniquely kind and generous man, volunteering his time and energy to a vast array of organizations in order to assist those less fortunate than himself. Among these organizations are The Interfaith Assistance Ministry, The Children and Family Resource Center, and the North Carolina Arboretum. He also enjoyed spending time golfing, gardening, was an avid reader and traveled the world over.
Steve was hugely warm and charismatic, leaving a positive impact on all those he met throughout his journey in life. He had the ability to make you feel like you were the most important person in a room full of people; He was purely authentic, and genuinely proud of those he surrounded himself with.
He was humble, and enjoyed simple things like sitting outside and shelling boiled peanuts while telling stories of his experiences traveling the globe. He had a hearty laugh that echoed off of the walls while telling a joke. He carried a handkerchief everywhere he went and wore a button-down and khakis with a belt almost every day. He always smelled the same, his spicy aftershave permeating the air in the early mornings while he read the paper or did the crossword. His accent was unique, holding onto his roots with the way he hit a hard "t" at the end of "right", or "hat"; his southern way of pronouncing "guy" or "sky", and yet in his words you could hear influences of everywhere he had ever been.
He listened to you intently, internalized everything you said, and asked questions. He made it feel like what you knew could change his life if he could understand it and care for it the way you did. His passion for education lasted his entire life. He read books to underprivileged children, went to lifelong learning classes at the community center, attended all graduations, incentivized good grades, and whenever he would go on trips he would read every plaque intently, or listen to every presentation as an active, engaged participant, grasping at every scrap of knowledge he could retain, but he also made you want to learn and be better because of his own thirst for facts about history, literature, science, or mechanics. It's no wonder that his three children grew up to be educators in some capacity, and two of his grandchildren are teachers in underserved communities.
To be a friend of Steve's was to have an unwavering pillar of support. He was always willing to help in any way he could, was wise about a huge variety of topics, and would commiserate or find a silver lining when a trial or tribulation seemed too much to bear. He was selfless, philanthropic, and will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
He is predeceased by his mother and father, his siblings Edward Leland English Jr., Rosalyn English Burns, Ronald English, Juanita English Mann, and Amelia English.
Steve is lovingly survived by his wife, his children Deanna English, Douglas English, Edward English, and his siblings Frank English, Sally Berry, and Rose Winfree. Steve was also an unparalleled grandfather to six grandchildren, Erin Lawlor, Brendan Lawlor, Kristen English, Stephen English, Miranda Edwards, and Arlo English; and five great-grandchildren, Jaiden Edwards, Kylah Edwards, Knox Edwards, Gabriel Rodriguez-English, and Orla Lawlor.
In lieu of flowers, please send a donation in memory of Steve English to the Children and Family Resource Center at, 851 Case St. Hendersonville NC 28792
There will be a private celebration of life with family.
Stephen "Steve" Croom English passed away peacefully on October 3, 2022, at Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville, NC with his wife and daughter by his side.
A Native of North Carolina, Steve was the 5th of nine surviving children born to the late Edward Leland English and Adalene Pigford English on November 23, 1932, in Pender County. He graduated from Penderlea School in May of 1950 and earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering from North Carolina State University in 1958. He served in the United States Army from 1953 to 1955 as a corporal for the Military Police. He married his wife, Phyllis "PJ" Jean Whitfield on September 27, 1956.
Steve was employed with Ralston Purina Company as an engineer and consultant from 1958 to 1997 and lived in Charlotte, NC, Battlecreek, MI, and St. Louis, MO during his time of employment. After retiring, he and his wife moved to Hendersonville, NC in 2001 where he lived until his passing.
He was a devoted member of the First Presbyterian Church, and a uniquely kind and generous man, volunteering his time and energy to a vast array of organizations in order to assist those less fortunate than himself. Among these organizations are The Interfaith Assistance Ministry, The Children and Family Resource Center, and the North Carolina Arboretum. He also enjoyed spending time golfing, gardening, was an avid reader and traveled the world over.
Steve was hugely warm and charismatic, leaving a positive impact on all those he met throughout his journey in life. He had the ability to make you feel like you were the most important person in a room full of people; He was purely authentic, and genuinely proud of those he surrounded himself with.
He was humble, and enjoyed simple things like sitting outside and shelling boiled peanuts while telling stories of his experiences traveling the globe. He had a hearty laugh that echoed off of the walls while telling a joke. He carried a handkerchief everywhere he went and wore a button-down and khakis with a belt almost every day. He always smelled the same, his spicy aftershave permeating the air in the early mornings while he read the paper or did the crossword. His accent was unique, holding onto his roots with the way he hit a hard "t" at the end of "right", or "hat"; his southern way of pronouncing "guy" or "sky", and yet in his words you could hear influences of everywhere he had ever been.
He listened to you intently, internalized everything you said, and asked questions. He made it feel like what you knew could change his life if he could understand it and care for it the way you did. His passion for education lasted his entire life. He read books to underprivileged children, went to lifelong learning classes at the community center, attended all graduations, incentivized good grades, and whenever he would go on trips he would read every plaque intently, or listen to every presentation as an active, engaged participant, grasping at every scrap of knowledge he could retain, but he also made you want to learn and be better because of his own thirst for facts about history, literature, science, or mechanics. It's no wonder that his three children grew up to be educators in some capacity, and two of his grandchildren are teachers in underserved communities.
To be a friend of Steve's was to have an unwavering pillar of support. He was always willing to help in any way he could, was wise about a huge variety of topics, and would commiserate or find a silver lining when a trial or tribulation seemed too much to bear. He was selfless, philanthropic, and will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
He is predeceased by his mother and father, his siblings Edward Leland English Jr., Rosalyn English Burns, Ronald English, Juanita English Mann, and Amelia English.
Steve is lovingly survived by his wife, his children Deanna English, Douglas English, Edward English, and his siblings Frank English, Sally Berry, and Rose Winfree. Steve was also an unparalleled grandfather to six grandchildren, Erin Lawlor, Brendan Lawlor, Kristen English, Stephen English, Miranda Edwards, and Arlo English; and five great-grandchildren, Jaiden Edwards, Kylah Edwards, Knox Edwards, Gabriel Rodriguez-English, and Orla Lawlor.
In lieu of flowers, please send a donation in memory of Steve English to the Children and Family Resource Center at, 851 Case St. Hendersonville NC 28792
There will be a private celebration of life with family.
A Native of North Carolina, Steve was the 5th of nine surviving children born to the late Edward Leland English and Adalene Pigford English on November 23, 1932, in Pender County. He graduated from Penderlea School in May of 1950 and earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering from North Carolina State University in 1958. He served in the United States Army from 1953 to 1955 as a corporal for the Military Police. He married his wife, Phyllis "PJ" Jean Whitfield on September 27, 1956.
Steve was employed with Ralston Purina Company as an engineer and consultant from 1958 to 1997 and lived in Charlotte, NC, Battlecreek, MI, and St. Louis, MO during his time of employment. After retiring, he and his wife moved to Hendersonville, NC in 2001 where he lived until his passing.
He was a devoted member of the First Presbyterian Church, and a uniquely kind and generous man, volunteering his time and energy to a vast array of organizations in order to assist those less fortunate than himself. Among these organizations are The Interfaith Assistance Ministry, The Children and Family Resource Center, and the North Carolina Arboretum. He also enjoyed spending time golfing, gardening, was an avid reader and traveled the world over.
Steve was hugely warm and charismatic, leaving a positive impact on all those he met throughout his journey in life. He had the ability to make you feel like you were the most important person in a room full of people; He was purely authentic, and genuinely proud of those he surrounded himself with.
He was humble, and enjoyed simple things like sitting outside and shelling boiled peanuts while telling stories of his experiences traveling the globe. He had a hearty laugh that echoed off of the walls while telling a joke. He carried a handkerchief everywhere he went and wore a button-down and khakis with a belt almost every day. He always smelled the same, his spicy aftershave permeating the air in the early mornings while he read the paper or did the crossword. His accent was unique, holding onto his roots with the way he hit a hard "t" at the end of "right", or "hat"; his southern way of pronouncing "guy" or "sky", and yet in his words you could hear influences of everywhere he had ever been.
He listened to you intently, internalized everything you said, and asked questions. He made it feel like what you knew could change his life if he could understand it and care for it the way you did. His passion for education lasted his entire life. He read books to underprivileged children, went to lifelong learning classes at the community center, attended all graduations, incentivized good grades, and whenever he would go on trips he would read every plaque intently, or listen to every presentation as an active, engaged participant, grasping at every scrap of knowledge he could retain, but he also made you want to learn and be better because of his own thirst for facts about history, literature, science, or mechanics. It's no wonder that his three children grew up to be educators in some capacity, and two of his grandchildren are teachers in underserved communities.
To be a friend of Steve's was to have an unwavering pillar of support. He was always willing to help in any way he could, was wise about a huge variety of topics, and would commiserate or find a silver lining when a trial or tribulation seemed too much to bear. He was selfless, philanthropic, and will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
He is predeceased by his mother and father, his siblings Edward Leland English Jr., Rosalyn English Burns, Ronald English, Juanita English Mann, and Amelia English.
Steve is lovingly survived by his wife, his children Deanna English, Douglas English, Edward English, and his siblings Frank English, Sally Berry, and Rose Winfree. Steve was also an unparalleled grandfather to six grandchildren, Erin Lawlor, Brendan Lawlor, Kristen English, Stephen English, Miranda Edwards, and Arlo English; and five great-grandchildren, Jaiden Edwards, Kylah Edwards, Knox Edwards, Gabriel Rodriguez-English, and Orla Lawlor.
In lieu of flowers, please send a donation in memory of Steve English to the Children and Family Resource Center at, 851 Case St. Hendersonville NC 28792
There will be a private celebration of life with family.
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