Stephen Robert Spriggs

Steve was a beloved husband, father, grandpa, son, brother, and a friend to all. He was a gifted artist, photographer and musician, and his creative impulses infused all he did. Everything he made was directed toward bringing laughter and joy to anyone who might see it. As early as his primary school years, Steve recognized the importance of joy. Walking home from first grade one day, he worried that he hadn't made people laugh that day. His handmade cards to his mom were designed to delight her. His generous heart and good cheer helped many people in need, from old friends and family, to new friends experiencing homelessness and food insecurity. He could not stand to see people in need. No one was a stranger to Steve.

He married his beloved wife of 43 years, Susan Mumpower, on September 25th, 1982. Though they had known each other since childhood in Dayton, Ohio, their courtship was ignited by several months of long-distance phone calls and letter writing. She held his hand as he passed. Together, Sue and Steve loved seeing live music, watching British Mystery Series, and spending as much time as possible with their grandkids. No one could give Sue the uncontrollable giggles as well as Steve and the silly things his brain would come up with.

He loved all children, particularly his two daughters Nora and Sammy, dearly. He made the mundane magical, including having picnics on the roof, or tomato soup and grilled cheese in the attic "treehouse." He was always up for a "spin" to run an errand or for a midnight drive to pick his daughters up from sleepovers when they felt homesick. He encouraged and joined them in their passions of softball and dance, coaching for many years and taking on supporting dancing roles in several ballets. Through his dedication and involvement in his daughters' lives and passions, he became an honorary and adoptive dad to many of their friends and teammates, all of whom knew that they had his love and support, forever. One dear friend stated that Steve was born "a girl dad," and we couldn't agree more. He became the biggest super-fan of any young person he bantered with backstage, coached on the softball field, or bonded with over a shared love of music, devotedly following their careers as they moved through life.

He doted on (and faithfully documented) his cherished time with his eight beloved grandchildren, and rejoiced in another on the way. He delighted in their antics, and was always on board to create a box fort, make masking tape tiaras, participate in a "pokey-ball" fight or anything else that his grandchildren could dream up. He and his best friend, his 8 year old granddaughter Aubrey, had too many traditions and inside jokes to recount in full, but some notable mentions were making "monkey bread," lip-synching to each other's voices, and most recently working their way through the original Nancy Drew mysteries together. He was the best Grandpa.

Throughout Steve's working career, he has always been known as a dedicated and supportive colleague. Whether in restaurants in South Florida, where he learned to make his renowned flavored cheesecakes, or in his career as a Graphic Designer, Steve was always well loved. In his 17 years at the CDC, he became known as "Yoda" to his teammates at the MMWR. He was wise, welcoming, and always ready to step up to help whoever on the team needed it. He was so proud to be part of the team that published the MMWR each week, providing critical science and public health information to Americans and people across the world. At every workplace, Steve made lifelong friends whom he cherished.

Even through the distance of time and different cities, Steve found ways to stay connected to his communities and bring old friends joy and laughs. His ridiculous photoshop serieses "The Disillusioned Belle-ette" and his daily "I Cut My Own Bangs" posts during the COVID Lockdown period brought laughter and connection to all of us, even during darkness and instability. As one friend shared recently, "Steve WAS Facebook" for so many.

No one can ever sum up a life in a few paragraphs. His loving and childlike joy blessed everyone who came into his orbit. Steve's core mission and motivator in life was spreading joy and love, and as his niece declared, "Mission accomplished."

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