Steven Ray Robinson peacefully passed away on March 15, 2018 surrounded by his family. He was born on August 14, 1956 in Provo, Utah to Franklin Dewey Robinson II and Katherine May Polasek. The third of four boys and the fourth of five siblings, he grew up with love, laughter, and a zest for life.
Steven grew up in Sugar House and graduated from Highland High School. In 1977, he enlisted in the United States Army where he proudly served his country as an active duty soldier until 1980. He was stationed in Germany for a good part of that time. He then served in the Army Reserve another 13 years. Steven attended Weber State where he received a degree in Automotive Engineering in 1987. Steven continued his education, receiving an MBA in 2002. While attending Weber State, Steven met his sweetheart and lifelong companion, Jin Sook Ha, in a Japanese class when they were paired as conversational partners. They were married in Salt Lake City on August 30, 1986 and poured their love and laughter into a new family, raising two children, Samantha and Daniel.
Steven loved cars. He loved driving them, working on them, and traveling to events to watch them race. Upon graduating from Weber State, Steven landed a job with General Motors, a dream come true for a guy with a passion for automotives. He worked for General Motors from 1987 through his passing, working his way up the company through hard work, diligence, and his ability to work with anyone. Steven was the District Manager of After Sales at the time of his passing. As an employee of General Motors, Steven saw a lot of the West, living with his family in Utah, Minnesota, Michigan, Colorado, and California before returning home to Utah for the remainder of his employment.
Steven was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on September 21, 1997 just in time to baptize his daughter in October. On September 18, 1999, he and his family were sealed for eternity in the Jordan River Temple.
Steven loved the outdoors and all the activities that allowed him to enjoy it such as running, skiing, hiking, camping and fishing. He devoted a lot of time to traveling with his wife to South Korea, where her family lived, as well as other countries. He hosted young people from South Korea at his home and treated them to iconic American sites such as Disneyland and the Grand Canyon.
Steven had a big heart. He was a generous soul who was always ready and willing to help anyone in need. The great love in his later years was his grandchildren, Jade and Paisley, who lovingly called him "baka" before they could say Grandpa. He was the very best Grandpa, giving them his heart, his hugs, and his unadulterated time and attention.
Steven was diagnosed with Stage IV Sinus cancer in 2016. He was determined to beat it and he successfully kept a positive attitude throughout his treatments. He proudly was cancer free in 2017. In the last months of his life, he dealt with a few health trials due to the effects of his cancer treatments. Throughout it all, he kept a positive outlook, worked hard and was a good example to everyone around him. His strong faith and testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was an inspiration and guiding light to those around him.
Steven is survived by his wife, Jin, his children, Samantha (Lance) and Daniel, his grandchildren, Jade and Paisley, his mother, Katherine, and his siblings, Kris (Troy), Frank (Dinah), Patrick (Jeanne) and Jeffrey. He was preceded in death by his father, Franklin.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 24, 2018 at the LDS Church located at 2675 E. Mt Jordan Road in Sandy. A viewing will be held Friday evening from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 East Dimple Dell Road (10600 South) in Sandy.
