Steven Dale Chaffee passed away on Friday, September 3 ^rd, in the presence of his family and in the care of the wonderful doctors and nurses at Welia Health in Mora, MN.  After a short, intense battle with cancer, he is finally at peace and pain-free, resting in the arms of the Lord.

He came into this world in the same hospital where he left it on September 20 ^th , 1950, to Carroll and Ayerbina Chaffee (Campbell).  He grew up on a farm in the country east of Hinckley, and he spent most of his childhood days on the back of a horse and camping, hunting, canoeing and fishing.  He attended school in Hinckley, Maplewood Academy in Hutchinson, MN, and graduated from Glendale Academy in Glendale, CA. After graduation, he returned to Hinckley and farmed for several years with his father.

In 1976, Steve began his career as an electrician, working for a number of electrical contractors.  In 1992, he partnered with J.P. Nelson, who owned Nelson Electric in Hinckley, and eventually started his own business, Steve's Electric.  Steve was a great electrician because he loved helping people.  It gave him great pleasure to serve the people in this community, and he went out of his way to provide excellent service, always with a quiet humility.  With the same humility, Steve decided to put his name on the ballot for Pine County Commissioner in 2008.  He was elected and served on the Pine County board for 12 years.  This was a role where Steve was really in his element.  He cared deeply for the welfare of those he served and always made decisions with their best interests in mind.  During this time, he could often be found on the phone listening to people's concerns with earnestness and openness.  He considered this role a great honor and earned the respect of his community through his steadfast honesty and integrity.

Though Steve's work was always important to him, what mattered most was the life he shared with the people he loved.  So, his greatest adventure truly began when he met Janet Blake in 1973.  Jan had come to Hinckley to go horseback riding.  She must have really liked horses because she kept coming back.  It was not long before they were inseparable.  Steve and Jan were married June 9 ^th , 1974, at Faith Lutheran Church in Hutchinson, MN.  Soon after, they bought his grandparents' farmhouse just down the road from where Steve grew up, and began putting roots down together.  Steve completely remodeled the home – fixing and building being one of his many superpowers.

Their next big adventure began with the birth of their son, Blake, in 1981.  Four years later a daughter, Brooke, was born.  His children were his great joys, and Steve and Jan spent countless hours on bleachers and benches watching their kids in their many sports or extra-curricular activities.  In adulthood, Steve continued to be their most ardent supporter, their comic relief, and their sounding board.  He shared special bonds with both of them, and was the very best father imaginable.

In 1994, Steve and Jan moved closer to town, just south of Hinckley, where Steve built a beautiful home on 15 acres.

One thing Steve loved was music.  He loved playing guitar and singing, and he was gifted at both.  Because of his talent, Steve was regularly asked to provide music for weddings and events.  He shared this love of music with his wife and, together, they passed their love and talent down to their children and grandchildren.  He loved listening to his son and daughter, and then his granddaughters, sing and play music, whether on a stage or in the living room.

He also loved hunting, and hunted all his life with his father and other relatives around the farmstead in Hinckley.  He shared this love with his son, Blake and nephew, Terry Haavisto, and together they began the tradition of an annual hunting trip near Orr, MN.  The three also made two hunting trips to Montana, fulfilling a lifelong dream for Steve.

He loved chocolate ice cream and a good bean burrito.

But above all else, Steve loved his family.  He enjoyed the squeals and giggles of his four grandchildren.  He often was seen driving the four-wheeler through their trails, with a grandkid or two on his knee.  His grandchildren said he made the best pancakes in the world.  He looked forward to going to Kavanagh's resort each summer with his children and grandchildren.  He and Jan loved looking for good bike trails, trailer camping, and travelling around the United States.  They also spent a lot of time at Grindstone Lake in the summer cruising around on the pontoon, kayaking and paddle boating.  In the winter, they snowshoed and went cross country skiing.  They looked forward to attending the moonlight skis at various Minnesota state parks. For a break from the cold, they enjoyed going to Florida or other warmer places, where they would also seek out bike trails to explore.  All through his life, Steve made his family a priority.  He loved them all fiercely and always put them first.

Steve had the amazing ability to accept the things in life he could not control, and he always met whatever life handed him with humor, strength and dignity.  This was true up to the moment he left us.  Though he is gone, he is etched into the very fabric of our lives and so he will live on.  He is everywhere, in everything, and he will be missed beyond measure.

Steve was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents Warren (Sarah) Campbell; his paternal grandparents, Carl (Elsie) Chaffee; and his parents Carroll and Ayerbina Chaffee.

He is survived by his sisters Beverly Chaffee and Laurel (Bron) McCall; brother, Philip (Sandra) Chaffee; wife Jan Chaffee; son Blake (Britney) Chaffee; daughter Brooke (Caleb) Anderson; four grandchildren: Zoe, Molly, Celia and Evelyn; and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and extended family members.

A memorial service will be held outdoors on Sunday, September 12 ^th , 2021 at 1:30 p.m. at Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center, 54165 Audubon Drive, Sandstone, MN 55072. Pastor Brenda Wicklund will officiate.

Arrangements by Methven Funeral Home- Tatting Methven Chapel, Hinckley, Minnesota