Stephen Lynn Stephenson
June 27, 1951 — January 26, 2018
Stephen "Steve" Lynn Stephenson, DVM
Steve Stephenson, 66, of Amarillo passed away on Friday, January 26, 2018. Memorial services will be at 11:00 am, Saturday, February 3, 2018 at Bell Avenue Church of Christ with Pastor Stephen LupPlace officiating. Arrangements are by LaGrone Blackburn Shaw Funeral Directors.
Steve was born on June 27, 1951 in Groom to Orville and Lucille Stephenson. He graduated from Groom High School in 1969, where he loved participating in the band activities and the FFA National band during his high school years. His love of FFA and stock show pigs would be the footprints that led him to a career in veterinary science. After graduation from Groom High School, he attended Midwestern State University for one year before transferring to West Texas State University. It was at WT that he met his wife, Connie Ladd and they married in 1972 and after graduating with Honors with a BS in Biology, he went to Texas A&M College of Veterinary Science and graduated Cum Laude in 1976.
He was a partner in the Palo Duro Veterinary Clinic from 1980-1987 in Canyon. His primary responsibilities were the small animal portion of the clinic and he developed an HMO for pet owners entitled Tender Loving Care (TLC) which significantly improved the finances and care of the small animal population to their customers. Steve also developed the first credit card for veterinarian clients and also was a ghost writer for veterinarians all across the United States. He always was promoting the industry.
Steve became an inspector VMO GS -11 with the USDA and in 1991, he became the youngest SVMO Circuit Supervisor in Ft. Worth and then the Texas Panhandle where he would eventually retire.
Steve had an amazing sense of humor and loved to laugh and loved working with animals. He was an ornery little boy who grew up to become a loving husband, father and an even better Pappers who loved his family very much. He will be greatly missed by his family and all who knew him.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a grandson, Joshua David Allen Wheeler.
He is survived by his wife, Connie; a daughter Sarah Warwick; a son, Stephen Stephenson II and wife Sydney of Canyon; four grandsons, Jarrett and Johnathan Warwick and Kade and Kreed Stephenson; three sisters, Maxine Kelso and husband Ferman, Carolyn Shelhamer and husband Gene and Marlys Melton and husband Larry.