Stephen Henry Rianda Jr.
Obituary
On Nov. 21, 2019, Stephen Henry Rianda Jr, born June 3, 1938, passed away peacefully in the comfort of his home surrounded by his wife and family. He was the eldest son of Stephen and Mary Rianda.
The family moved to Greenfield from Salinas when he was nine and he lived there his entire life. He graduated from King City High School in 1956 and joined the army where he served in Germany with his buddies James (Fuzzy) Dunson and Gail (Bummy) Baumgartner. He played on the Army football team, winning the Division 24 championship.
One of Steve's greatest gifts to his friends and family was cooking, BBQ was his specialty. He never turned down an opportunity to cook and loved being a part of the celebration. In addition to cooking, he loved to hunt and fish and was a longtime member of the Gustine Gun Club. Steve was a member of the California Society of Pioneers and proud of his heritage.
He was a sixth generation Californian and a descendant of the Vallejo and Amesti families. Cattle ranching was his trade and in 2018, he was honored by being named Monterey County Cattleman of the Year. He ran the roping chutes for many years at the California Rodeo and played a mean game of Pedro and was known for his aggressive bidding.
Steve is survived by his wife of 58 years June; brother, Brian Rianda and sister, Judy Dudley; children, Julie (Erik), Judy (Steve), Steve III (Wendy), Bruce (Lisa), John (Kyla) and Christy (Cody) and sixteen grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his daughter Tricia.
Steve will be remembered as an independent person who did things his way, a man of no pretense who was adored by friends, family and those who had the opportunity to enjoy his warmth and humor.
A Visitation will be held at Eddington Funeral Home in King City at 5:00 and Rosary at 6:00 pm on Sunday, December 1st. A service will be held on Monday, December 2nd at 10:00 am at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Greenfield.
If desired, memorial donations may be made in Steve's name to Central Coast VNA/Hospice or the American Cancer Society.
For more information contact Eddington Funeral Services, 429 Bassett St., King City, (831) 385-5400, www.EFS-Cares.com.
Published in Greenfield News and King City Rustler · November 27, 2019