Stephen E. Burrows
1956-2017
Steve Burrows, a native of Poteau and resident of Edmond, Oklahoma, passed away peacefully at home on December 31, 2017.
At seventeen, Steve met Ruth James, the girl who was to become his best friend, devoted wife and the mother to his three beloved children, Stephanie, Stacy and Joshua.
At around the same time Steve also started out in the produce department of Poteau Food Market, working his way up to Assistant Manager.
He graduated from Eastern Oklahoma State College and got his first store manager position at Super H, eventually becoming Director of Corporate Retail Operations at Hale-Halsell.
He spoke at the 1999 National Grocers Association and was later recognized for his forward-thinking work in loyalty marketing by author Brian Woolf.
As the Director of Center Store Merchandising at HAC, Inc. (Homeland Stores), Steve coordinated sponsorships with OU and OSU Athletics and the OKC Thunder, combining career' with one of his great passions – Oklahoma sports, and making lifelong friends of some of his sporting heroes.
Steve was a generous and loving husband, father, grandfather and friend to so many. He loved to cheer his grandchildren on at their sporting events and grill his famous burgers for family and friends. He devoted his life to caring and providing for his family.
Steve is survived by his wife of 41 years, Ruth, his daughter and son-in-law Jeremy & Stephanie Martin of Pocola, and grandchildren Savannah, Connor, Aiden, Tyler, Jordan, daughter and son-in-law David & Stacy Christopher of Edmond, and grandchildren Finn, Jack Henry and Judd and his son and daughter-in-law Joshua & Kayla Burrows. He is preceded in death by his mother, Inadell Grigsby, his father-in-law Dale James, his mother-in-law Betty James and his grandson, Jordan Martin.
Visitation will be held from 5-7 PM on Wednesday, January 3rd at Matthews Funeral Home in Edmond, OK. A service will be held at First Baptist Church of Edmond at 11 AM on Thursday, January 4. There will be a graveside service officiated by Evans and Miller Funeral Home at the James Family Cemetery in Calhoun, OK Friday at 1 PM.