Obituary of Stephen Encell, 87
July 3, 1937 – July 6, 2024
– Steve was born and raised in the Los Angeles area, with siblings John and Mary Encell. Steve’s father died when he was very young, and he and his brother were sent off to a military academy. Later, he attended Dorsey High School, where he excelled at cross country, tennis, and golf. One of his first jobs was at See’s Candies. After Dorsey, he attended El Camino College and met his future wife, Celeste Encell. Together, they raised their two sons, Stephen and Dan, in the San Fernando Valley and spent summers at their cabin in Malibu Lake.
At Malibu Lake, they met many lifelong friends, including Steve’s best friend, Roger Darby. Steve and Darby enjoyed a lifetime of travel, backpacking, hunting, fishing, bodysurfing, and sailing—true outdoorsmen. In 1971, the family moved to Paso Robles, an area Steve had fallen in love with while serving in the Army/National Guard at nearby Camp Roberts. He bought the iconic local auto parts store, Pioneer Auto Parts, with the area’s legendary machine shop, which he ran for several decades. At “Pioneer,” Steve trained and provided career employment for dozens of locals. Many of his Pioneer family worked their entire careers with Steve. Steve flourished in Paso Robles, making great friends and becoming an important part of the community. The family enjoyed fishing, camping, hunting, skiing, gardening, raising animals, and cross-country motorhome trips to Arkansas, Atlanta, and Canada. Steve and Dan were formidable doubles partners at the local racquetball club. Steve was a longtime member of the Paso Robles Trail Riders, where he enjoyed the annual trail ride and corresponding camaraderie.
After several moves within the local area, Steve acquired “The Ranch,” a beautiful 95-acre property at the base of the Santa Lucia Mountains, with ¼ mile of Jack Creek flowing through it. This property became one of the great loves of his life, where he enjoyed being a “gentleman farmer,” and later planted the largest pinot noir vineyard within Paso Robles AVA. After 20-plus years of marriage, Steve and Celeste went their separate ways.
In 1995, Steve met the love of his life, Sue Shannon. The two were set up on a blind date by Terry Adams, a mutual friend. They met at the halfway point between Paso Robles and Tulare—Carl’s Jr. in Kettleman City. This meeting was the start of a 30-year fairytale romance that lasted until Steve’s last day. As much as Steve loved “The Ranch,” he loved Sue more and quickly moved to Tulare to be with her. Steve was “all in” with living in Tulare near Sue’s fine sons, Blake, Trevor, and Chris, and her countless awesome Valley friends.
Steve and Sue loved following the athletic careers of their many grandchildren and were regular fixtures at as many sporting events as they could possibly fit in. Steve enjoyed celebrating his birthday each year with friends and family at Bass Lake, with burgers and malts. Taco Tuesdays, organized by his dear friends John and Sandra Jones, were also a weekly highlight. Steve and Sue enjoyed dressing up for many holiday dinners at Hearst Castle with Dan and his lovely wife, Caroline. Steve and Sue regularly attended Old Mule Days in Bishop, where they won World Champion Mule two times!
Late in life, Steve connected with his half-sister, Elaine, who lived in Texas with her husband Henson Dunn. Steve, Sue, Elaine, and Henson were a regular foursome, traveling, dining, and golfing together around the country.
Just before his 80th birthday, Steve had a severe stroke, which diminished his strength and short-term memory. Despite the challenges that followed, Steve remained gracious, positive, optimistic, fun, kind, and loving until the very end. He always believed the best about people, and he was forever grateful for all of the wonderful friends and family in his life. He was especially thankful to have Sue by his side until the end.
A very special thanks to all of the fine nurses and staff at Shannon Ranch Quail Park, who cared for Steve with extraordinary love and compassion.
There will be a Celebration of Life on Saturday, September 7th, at 4 p.m. at “The Ranch” in West Templeton. All friends and family are welcome. Peers-Lorentzen Funeral Services is in charge of arrangements.
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