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Obituary

Stephen J. Knierim, age 57, of Columbus, OH passed away on May 10, 2020. Born June 9, 1962, to Lloyd and Delta Knierim, he is survived by his sister-in-law, Linda Knierim, niece, Ashley Knierim, and her husband, Mack Gelber. Stephen was like no one else. When his parents passed at a young age, he moved in with Linda and her late husband, Ivan Knierim, who raised him as one of their own. As a young adult, he manned the deep fryer at the family business, the Old Stone Haus Tavern in Raymond, OH, and later worked in food services at Otterbein University in Westerville. Stephen had a way of making whoever was talking to him feel like the most special person in the world. It didn't matter if you were close family, a professional caregiver, or someone filling a popcorn bucket at a movie theater - Stephen loved people, and everyone around him felt that. Even as he struggled with health complications, Stephen tended to experience life as one big party. He often traveled to New York to visit his niece, Ashley, and constantly lit up his day center, CORICare, with jokes, stories, and fresh-baked pizzelles. He was a lifelong Michigan football devotee, and wanted every Buckeyes fan he crossed paths with - and possibly everyone in the city of Columbus - to know it. We'll miss the way Stephen would instantly brighten the moment you entered the room, even if you'd seen him just hours earlier. We'll miss how he'd tell a story from 30 years ago to cheer you up (he had a memory like a steel trap), or make you feel like a small gesture meant the world and more - even if all you'd done was put mushrooms in his omelet. Stephen is preceded in death by his parents and brother-in-law, Ivan Knierim. There will be a private visitation at the JOHN QUINT TREBONI FUNERAL HOME, 1177 West Fifth Avenue, Columbus, on Friday, May 15, 2020, followed by public graveside service at St. Joseph Cemetery (Lockbourne) at a later date. Condolences may be sent via www.johnquint.com.