He graduated from Esmond High School. He attended Lake Region State College and Jamestown College. He then traveled and planted thousands of trees in the Pacific Northwest with the Hoedads Tree Planting Collective. He returned to Devils Lake ND to work for UPS. He married Dina Michel on October 25, 1987. After working for UPS for 30 years he retired and then drove for the Devils Lake Transit.
Steve excelled at playing a wide range of sports in high school. In college he was a thespian and a baseball player. Throughout his life he ran two marathons, was in triathlon competitions in Devils Lake and loved to play racquetball and work-out at Southgate. He played fast pitch for Southam and the KC teams and softball for the Burley Bears. He performed in many theatre productions with the Pioneer Players. He was a member of the Yacht Club and loved to go sailing with his friends and family.
Survivors are his wife Nadine “Dina” of Devils Lake; his daughter Lydia Gilbertson (partner Jeff Garske) of Seattle WA and Lucy Gilbertson, Devils Lake; siblings Darlene (Larry) Soper, Kennesaw GA, Wayne (Denise) Gilbertson, Eugene OR, Michael Gilbertson, Minot ND and Lisa (Ronnie) Weiss also of Minot; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law Jayne and Larry Bennet, Grand Forks ND, Vicki Michel (Jamestown ND) and Chaun Foughty, Devils Lake, Beth and Collin Evenson, Devils Lake and nieces and nephews Jody, Jackie, Jeff, Evan, Amelia, Ericka, Dustin and Ethan.
He was preceded in death by his parents Eris, Omer, and stepfather Sylvester Hoffner.
There will be a Celebration of Life on September 19, 2021, from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the KC Hall in Devils Lake. A time for sharing memories and stories will be at 5:00 p.m. Please observe COVID precautions.