Stephen and Phyllis Stephens

Stephen Paul Stephens passed away on October 14, 2026, and his beloved wife, Phyllis Ashley Stephens, followed just two days later, on October 16, 2026. Together for nearly seven decades, their lives and love endured until the very end. 

Steve was born on September 30, 1936, in Dunbar, WV, to Ray and Emma Warner Stephens. Phyllis was born on July 8, 1938, in Clay County, WV, to Gordon and Elinor Hyer Ashley. 

Steve and Phyllis graduated from Dunbar High School and were married on November 28, 1957. They moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where Steve served in the U.S. Navy. Following his military service, they returned to West Virginia, where Steve earned a BS in Education and later a Regents BA degree from West Virginia State College. In 1966, they welcomed their only child, Mark Warner Stephens. 

The family made their home in Poca for many years, building a life filled with treasured memories. They enjoyed boating, camping, and bowling, and developed a lifelong love of golf. They became members of Sleepy Hollow Golf Club, where they formed lasting friendships. Steve especially enjoyed teaching Mark to play golf, creating memories that would remain dear to him throughout his life. 

In 1995, Steve and Phyllis endured the unimaginable heartbreak of losing their son, Mark. Following his death, they moved to Teays Valley, settling next door to Phyllis’s sister, Janet. They embraced their new community, continued to enjoy golf with friends, and found fellowship within the church family at St. John United Methodist Church. Steve retired from the West Virginia Lottery, and Phyllis retired from Airgas. Together, they continued building a life grounded in love, friendship, faith, and the enduring bond they shared. 

Steve and Phyllis were preceded in death by their son, Mark. Steve was preceded in death by his parents; Ray and Emma Warner Stephens. Phyllis was preceded in death by her infant brother, Charles Norman Ashley; her father, Gordon Ashley; and her mother and stepfather, Elinor and Connie Young. 

Those left to cherish their memories include Phyllis’s sisters, Janet Spry (Doug), of Scott Depot; and Jane Jones (Don); nephew, Ben Jones (Nicole); niece, Kristin Schuchardt (Mark); and great-nephews, Judah and Everett Schuchardt, all of Texas. Also surviving is their goddaughter, Paige Carney Salgado of Hurricane. 

A celebration of these two precious lives will be held on Monday, October 26, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at St. John United Methodist Church with Reverend Jarrod Caltrider officiating. The family will receive guests one hour prior to the service.

Interment will follow at Grandview Memorial Park, where Steve and Phyllis will be laid to rest beside their beloved son, Mark.

Arrangements are in the care of Keller Funeral Home, Dunbar.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in honor of Steve and Phyllis may be made to St. John United Methodist Church, 4536 Teays Valley Road, Scott Depot, WV 25560, or to the Putnam County Animal Relief Center, 1 Sabre Road, Winfield, WV 25213 https://animalshelter.putnamcountywv.gov/support/.

www.kellerfuneralhome.net