Steve Carnegis

A gentle soul, inquiring mind, and walking encyclopedia, Stephen Richard "Steve" Carnegis, age 31, of Cincinnati, is now in the arms of Jesus. Steve was born on October 26, 1990, to Carl and Kathy (Peterson) Carnegis in Dayton, Ohio. Steve grew up the middle child of three boys and continually taught his family about his latest discoveries. As a child, while the other eight-year-olds wanted to be firefighters, he declared he would be pursuing a career in herpetology, which is, to save you from googling, the study of amphibians and reptiles. Growing up, he played soccer and violin, but was most proud of his fifth-grade win of the Middle School Geography Bee. As he got older, his passion and ambition were both evident in his care for and fascination with nature. From his love of hiking old-growth forests and prairies, to his choice to be a mussel-eating vegetarian, he truly cared about the world around him. He had one main interest, the environment, and he loved it in a million different ways. His concern for the environment led him into the sciences, his favorite of which was Bio-Chemistry. After graduating high school from Dayton Christian in 2009, he attended Calvin College and then finished his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Cedarville University in 2016. After graduating, he began working for Tedia Company, making high purity solvents as a lab technician. He was on a path within the company to move into doing more research, which suited his interests and passions well. He was very proud of his work, specifically that he had the opportunity to help produce some of the solvents used in the COVID-19 tests. Science and faith were the lenses through which he examined life, and they led him to use his knowledge in other areas: from what he ate to what he read. He enjoyed cooking and baking and was always excited to incorporate ingredients he had foraged, most notably, making pesto from wild garlic. He was a voracious reader and used his library card often, checking out anything related to nature and science, and consumed scientific journal articles and YouTube videos. Steve took his faith in Jesus very seriously. He was involved in a fantastic church community that he loved at Red Door Church. He was planning a future with his fiancée, Sarah-Lizz Myers, who was his “wildflower.” Together, they enjoyed lingering hikes, nighttime rides on King’s Island’s rollercoaster, The Beast, and visits to String Town Road. He wrote her, and everyone he loved, the most beautiful notes and cards (something he was known for) as he was exceedingly sensitive, contemplative, and thoughtful. Steve was a devoted uncle to Jack and Mason and honorary uncle to his best friend Mark’s children. He passed on his love for science through gifts, experiments, and nature walks with the kids. He loved springtime, complex puzzles, and running barefoot. He was remarkably unique and exceptionally loved. Steve is survived by parents Carl and Kathy Carnegis, brother Nick (Jordan) Carnegis and their sons Jack and Mason, brother Jason (Lisa) Carnegis, fiancée Sarah-Lizz Myers, grandparents Dick and Sally Jo Peterson and Mary Lou (Tom) Webb, aunts and uncles Jeff (Sofia) Peterson, Ken (Lisa) Carnegis, and Maria (Kurt) Williams, cousins Miles Peterson, Tasha (James) Orson, Colby (Brittany) Carnegis, Alex Carnegis, Kristin Carnegis, Luke Carnegis, and Ted Williams, close friends Mark Hadaya, Jon Lukac, Peter Curnutte, and Will Phillips, beloved dog Tarn, the Red Door men's group and church community, and numerous other family members and friends. Steve was preceded in death by his grandfather, Izzy Carnegis. To help the family celebrate his life, you are invited to dress comfortably, as Steve would, during his visitation at Conner & Koch Life Celebration Home (92 W. Franklin St. Bellbrook, Ohio 45305) on Wednesday, November 3rd, 2021 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. A Life Celebration Memorial Service will also be held on Saturday, November 6th, 2021 at 10:00 am at Red Door Church (1140 Smiley Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45240). Instead of receiving cut flowers, as Steve would have preferred to keep them in their natural habitat, the family requests donations to one of the many organizations Steve often gave to and loved, Beaver Creek Wetlands (https://beavercreekwetlands.org/donate/), NAMI of Montgomery County (https://www.nami-mc.org/contribute), Au Sable Institute (https://www.ausable.org/donate), Wildlife Emergency Service Team (https://www.westwildliferehab.org/), World Vision (https://www.worldvision.org/donate), WYSO Cincinnati Public Radio 91.3 (https://www.wyso.org/), and Red Door Church (http://www.iamreddoor.org/give). You are welcome to write your condolence, plant a memorial tree, and share a story about Steve at www.ConnerAndKoch.com.

Steve Carnegis

October 26, 1990 - October 27, 2021