Stephen Wayne Gage

July 21, 1955 — August 31, 2024

Crystal Beach, TX

While he never got to ring the bell here, the bell rang loud and clear in the dark, early morning hours of August 31, when Steve moved to his heavenly home.

Steve was born July 21, 1955, to Doyle Gage and Mary (Brewer) Gage in Texas City, Texas.  He was the third born of the four siblings and the youngest of the three brothers.  Steve was a 1973 graduate of Texas City High School.

Steve briefly overlooked the Texas City and La Marque High School rivalry to marry Susan Cruse, of La Marque.  They were united in marriage on August 21, 1981, at Paul’s Union Church.  Once married, he continued to root for the Stingarees while sitting in the Cougar section.

They met while both were working at Texas City Refining (TCR) and spent most of their married life in La Marque, where they raised their family.

Steve started as a member of the labor gang at TCR for three years before getting hired there full-time.  He was an operator until he retired after thirty-seven years from TCR/Valero.  During that time, he met many lifelong friends and was proud to serve beside them, both on the unit and on the fire team.  The stories he would share about some of the goings on would have everyone in stitches, and he was probably in the big middle of most of them, if not the instigator.

Steve loved the outdoors, hunting, and family and found a way to combine all three of those the many years he spent hunting at Arizona Creek Wildlife Association in Rye, Texas.  The stories of those glory days were still being shared even last week.  Steve was a master storyteller and the king of the one liners!

He was a member of the Bayou Vista Volunteer Fire Department from 2004 to 2007.

Family was huge to Steve.  He would do anything for his family whether you were family by birth, family by marriage, or family by choice.  His heart was big enough for everyone.  When it came to the children, he believed kids should be allowed to be kids.  He was often in the middle of things, egging them on to greater adventures.  The more dirt the better the fun!  If a kite was eaten by a tree, he was there in an instant, chainsaw in hand.  Some of his great nieces and nephews affectionately called him Uncle PawPaw.

He was the family historian and loved sharing about the family Bible housed in the museum at the Alamo.

After retiring from TCR, Steve moved his family to northeast Texas, to a little town called Quitman, where he spent his days fishing on the lake and working on one of his many projects, including designing and building many of the fixtures and displays used in his daughter’s boutique, Selkie Sun, located on Crystal Beach.  When the call of the coast became too strong, the family moved back to the Gulf and made Crystal Beach their home.  After his morning coffee on the deck with their dog, Kiko, Steve usually could be found riding his golf cart on the beach.  If the golfcart path needed repair or clearing, Steve was part of the volunteer crew making it better for the neighborhood.  He was still working on projects in his final week.

Steve was preceded in death by his parents, Doyle and Mary Gage; his great nephews, Liam Gage and Dylan Magee; and other family.

He is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Susan (Cruse) Gage; his son Stephen “Clint” and wife, Angela, of Winnie; his daughter Cheyanne Gage, of Crystal Beach; brother and sister-in-law, Greg and Kay Gage, of Mont Belvieu; brother and sister-in-law, Virgil and Patti Gage, of Santa Fe; sister and brother-in-law, Karen and Jeff Johnson, of League City; and brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Jerry and Cindy (Cruse) Hardisty; six beloved grandchildren: Tristan, Corie, Evelyn, Isaac, Isabelle, and Joseph Gage;  nine nieces and nephews and their spouses, seventeen great nieces and nephews, and one great, great niece; three favorite aunts: Aunt Donna Campbell, Aunt Lorene Green, and Aunt Joy Simpson; and a multitude of cousins.

The family wishes to express their deepest appreciation to staff at Heart to Heart Hospice of Beaumont, especially Tony and Taylor, for their care and service and to the staff of Mind and Body Solutions of Webster, especially Izzy and Riese, for going the extra mile to provide support and care during his journey.

It was Steve’s desire to be cremated.  A celebration of his life will be at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of James Crowder Funeral Home, La Marque.

“This is Walking Stick – signing out!”