Stephen LeRoy Wells

Stephen “Steve” LeRoy Wells, loving husband, father & grandfather of Amarillo, TX, passed on from this life on Wednesday, November 13th, 2024, which was also his 73rd birthday. He passed peacefully at home in his sleep from natural causes.

He was born in 1951 in Brookville, Pennsylvania to Phillip & Janet Wells. He had an older sister, Janice and later a baby sister, Jill. After the sudden, tragic passing of his father at age 8 in 1959 from a work-related Railroad accident, he was raised by his mother and both sets of Grandparents. His Grandfathers, Uncles & friends would hunt, camp & fish with him. He attended Brookville High until 1969, completing the 11th grade. His mother remarried Mr. Dale Smith so Steve and his sisters instantly acquired 4 new stepsiblings: Terry, Sherry, Dale-Ann “Daisy” & “Little” Dale. After high school, he opted to attend Trade School and later became both a Painter and a Welder. Around this time, he married Ellen Wolfgang & they had a daughter, Robin. The marriage was brief.

He held many different jobs from a charcoal factory worker to Ridgeway Steel to running his Stepfather’s busy Service Station off of I-80 until he left Pennsylvania in 1981, joining his sister Jill & her family in Oregon where he eventually joined a church (becoming a certified counselor) where he met his wife, Courtney. They had 2 daughters, Sonja and Nichole and divorced after about 2 years. 

In 1992 he and Margaret met, fell in love & married. They bought a home & raised each other’s children full-time, who were all under the age of 5! He taught the children not only responsibility but also to fish, camp and hike, spending many weekends in the forest creating beautiful, memorable adventures. Steve worked as a manufacturing foreman until they left Oregon in 2002 and moved to Texas to better raise & educate the then Middle & High School aged children. They owned & operated a small business for 13 years (2006 – 2019) specializing in precious metals, after which Steve retired but continued to enjoy buying firearms, motorcycles, cars, antiques & machinery in need of restoration which he meticulously did.

Throughout his life, he enjoyed learning via non-fiction books and movies on history, philosophy & nature and developed extensive knowledge of each. He was cherished by his wife and all their children. 

Steve was preceded in death by both parents, his younger sister Jill Tharp, niece Amber Tharp and stepson Tryston Qualls. 

He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Margaret, sister Janice Ferraro, all 4 stepsiblings, daughters Robin Frantz, Sonja & Nichole Wells, stepsons Nathan & Jason Qualls and numerous grandchildren, nieces & nephews.