Stephen Amond

Stephen was born Dec. 28, 1952, in Norway, to the late Ernest and Lily Amond. In 1964 the family moved to Niagara, Wis., where Steve graduated with the Class of 1971. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Superior, earning a bachelor of science degree in counseling in 1975 then a master’s degree in therapy in 1978.

In the early 1980s, a young and adventurous Steve moved to Santa Fe, N.M. Upon settling in Albuquerque he found his true calling in working for ARCA. Dedicated to helping his clients thrive, he brought energy, warmth, and joy to everyone he met, always joking and sharing his one-of-a-kind charisma. After more than 30 years of service, he retired. It was also here, Albuquerque, that he met his wife, Karen Tewawina (of 26 years), with whom he would live a full and beautiful life.

Stephen is survived by his loving wife, Karen; daughter Janelle (James) Lisinski; granddaughter Mythra Lisinski; brother John (Sue) Amond; sisters Jeanette (Jerry) Micksch, Elizabeth (Richard) Gedvick, Alice Amond, and Andrea Pociask. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister Barbara Cleveland; and daughter Heather Tewawina.

Stephen loved playing tennis. He started in high school, continued in college, and finally on leagues in Albuquerque. When not on the court, traveling was another favorite activity, with visits to Australia, England, Scotland, Spain, Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, Ireland, Cape Horn, and New Zealand. To top it off, he became a certified scuba driver, a skill he used on many cruises.

Steve always made sure he was in town for the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. He thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful colors, fun shapes, and wide array of hot-air balloons. In his spare time, Steve enjoyed gardening — roses, tomatoes, squash, hot green chili peppers, and corn — and working on thousand-piece puzzles. He was a loyal Green Bay Packers fan.

A memorial service will be held Friday, June 19, at 10 a.m. Mountain time at French’s Funeral Home, 9300 Golf Course Road NW, Albuquerque, NM 87114. The service will be livestreamed through frenchfunerals.com under Stephen’s name.