Steven Paul Bjerke
Steven Bjerke Obituary
Steven Paul Bjerke
January 29, 1943 - December 25, 2024
Steven Paul Bjerke, born on January 29, 1943, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to Paul Gilbert Bjerke and Irma Ruth Brasure Bjerke, passed away peacefully on December 25, 2024.
Steve is survived by his devoted wife of 60 years, Delores Lee Van Sickle Bjerke; his children, Carolyn (Mike Hunter) and Timothy (Peter Garcia); and his beloved grandchildren, Nicholas, Noah, and Tyler. He is also survived by his brothers, Peter (Lynn Trenda) and Thomas (Laurie Bjerke). He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Catherine Davis (Bob Davis).
Steve attended Eau Claire Memorial High School and the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. His career began in retail merchandising with S.S. Kresge, which later became Kmart. Over the years, he and his family moved to 15 different Midwest cities before his retirement. Steve embarked on a second career as a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones in Willmar, Minnesota. In 1985, he relocated to Pendleton, Oregon where he opened an Edward Jones office and served the community until his retirement in 2014.
An Eagle Scout, Steve had a lifelong passion for scouting. As an adult, he worked with scouts in both Minnesota and Oregon, enjoying experiences like winter camping in snow caves in the Blue Mountains. He and Delores shared a deep love of the outdoors, spending time backpacking and hiking across the Pacific Northwest. Some of his happiest moments were camping with his Escape travel trailer and meeting his grandchildren in California parks.
A Master Diver, Steve's love of the water took him to diving adventures in Hawaii, the Grand Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Honduras, Fiji, Roatan, and Bonaire with Delores accompanying him on these journeys. Together, he and Delores traveled the world, visiting Europe, Turkey, Peru, Morocco, Greece, China, Africa, and Norway, where they found his great-grandmother's ancestral home in Aure. Beyond his travels, Steve had a wide range of hobbies, he was an avid beekeeper, gardener and photographer. His love of fishing had him casting for muskie in Wisconsin lakes, walleye in Minnesota and mountain trout in Oregon with his grandchildren.
Steve was deeply committed to his community. He served for 13 years on the Pendleton City Council, was a past President of Rotary and Paul Harris Fellow, a member of the Presbyterian Church, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Pendleton Memorial Community Health Corp Board. He also served on the Oregon PERS Board and as a public member of the Oregon State Bar Disciplinary Board.
Steve faced Alzheimer's with remarkable courage and grace. His family would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Malcolm Townsley, the staff at Juniper House Memory Care and Good Shepherd Vange John Memorial Hospice in Hermiston for their compassionate care.
A service to celebrate Steve's life will be held at a later date.
Donations in Steve's Memory may be made to:
John Vance Memorial Hospice
645 West Orchard St.
Hermiston, OR 97838
The Alzheimer's Association