Victor S. Steiber, 96, of Methuen passed away peacefully on March 3, 2017 at 3:30 am in Methuen Village Retirement Community.

Victor was born on August 14, 1920 in Iliskra Bistrica, Slovenia as Viktor Stajber, the son of Sante Fugato of Venice, Italy and Terezija Stajber of Slovenia. He was raised on a farm in Slovenia, where he had memories of going to church barefoot holding his shoes so not to wear them out, as they were a luxury to have.

Before coming to this country he acquired a job on a ship in Venezuela for accounting and stayed with them for a few years. Upon coming to America, he was employed be White Fuel/Timkin as a service technician for oil burners, working nights for many years. On October 17, 1946 Victor married Mary Rose Beninatti in East Boston, MA, and the two shared 37 years together until her passing in 1985. Throughout his life, Victor resided in East Boston, Medford, Somerville, Malden, and Groton, never leaving his state of Massachusetts.

Victor excelled in any area of his life that he ventured, including accounting and studying electronics. He was gifted in languages, speaking English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Slavic and Chinese, which he was attempting to master. For sport, he loved pole vaulting, skiing, running and soccer, and overall was an excellent athlete in his younger years. He was a pilot, an avid reader, an excellent photographer, a well-rounded handyman and a talented dancer. He also had a love for hobbies such as electronics, cameras, computers, music, and gardening. His children were introduced to the love and appreciation of all aspects of nature through their dad.

Victor had many attributes that family and friends will remember him for. He had a very strong intuition which he always followed and never waivered. He loved fresh food and would not eat anything with preservatives. He understood nutrition and had a favorite saying, “You must eat to live, not live to eat”. He was a very frugal man and lived modestly. He lived by the golden rule “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” He also often coined “You have to do the right thing”. Victor had a strong sense of personal boundaries and respect for others, and would never leave the house without acknowledging his children with a kiss on the cheek.

Victor will be remembered by his large and loving family, including his daughter Joanne Carroll and her husband Fred of Chelmsford, MA, his son Bob Steiber and his wife Penny of Salem, NH, his daughter Marie Cole and her husband Chuck of Peabody, MA, his grandchildren Chelsea, Deena, Leah & Chaz Cole, Brenda, Charlene, Adam & Erin Carroll, and Kristin, Craig & Kerri Steiber, and his great-grandchildren Aidan, Abera, Terence Jr. (TJ), Anthony, Dominic, Amelia, Georgia, Samantha, Brianna, Amanda, Cameron, Alison, Kevin, Kyle, Briella, and Gabrielle, with a future great-grandchild on the way. He was predeceased by his wife Mary Rose Steiber. 

Calling hours will be held on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 from 4:00 to 7:00pm at the Charles F. Dewhirst Funeral Home, 80 Broadway, Methuen, MA 01844. A funeral service will take place on Wednesday, March 8 in the funeral home chapel at 10:00am. To leave an online condolence, please visit www.dewhirstfuneral.com

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