Steven A. Kleine, 70, of Marietta died Tuesday, October 15, 2019. Funeral Service will be Sunday, October 20, 2019 at 2pm in the chapel of Marietta Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 12-2 prior to the service.

The thing Steve Kleine was most proud of in his life was always providing for his family, making sure they always had a roof over their heads and all the bills paid. His favorite pastime was spending time with that family as it grew over the years.

Steve met and married his wife of nearly 48 years, Gerry Kleine, in 1971. Through the years, they raised three great sons, Keith, Brian, and Mark. The three boys eventually married and his family grew to include three wonderful daughters-in-law, Julie Noteboom Kleine, Leslie Thomason Kleine, and most recently, Ashley Dyer.  Then he was blessed  to become "Pop-Pop" to the best grandchildren in the world, Aidan, Emma, Charlie, and Miles.

Steve was born on May 17, 1949, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Francis Kleine and Frances (Jerry) Snyder.

His early life was graced by an older brother, Mike Kleine, and younger sister, Becky Biermann. In his teen years, he was blessed with another brother, Bruce Allers, and a very special stepfather, Arthur Allers. He also gained a stepmother, Hazel Kleine, and two more brothers, Jerry Sprigg and Ricky Sprigg, around that time.

He lived most of his childhood in the St. Louis area, attending Riverview Gardens High School where he participated in wrestling, played football, and was a member of the band, earning him the lifelong moniker, Tuba, among his friends.

Steve attended Southwest Missouri State on a football scholarship. After one year, he made the decision to enlist in the U.S. Marines. He was proud of his service and served most of his time as a machine gunner in Vietnam.

His working career began in production at Kroger Dairy in St. Louis . Steve returned to college to advance his career to better provide for his family. He attended classes while working full-time, graduating from Florissant Valley Community College and University of Missouri-St. Louis with a B.S. in Business Administration. He continued in Sales with Kroger, relocating first to Memphis, Tennessee, then to Lake Mary, Florida, and finally settling in Marietta, Georgia in 1987, where he spent the rest of his life. He continued to work for Kroger until taking a job with Atlanta Dairies. He ended his career with the Coca Cola Company.

In addition to spending time with his family, Steve also enjoyed fishing, riding his motorcycle, annual family beach trips, listening to the oldies, dining out, and movie nights. He loved supporting his favorite sports teams: the Atlanta Falcons, Georgia Bulldogs, St. Louis Cardinals, and St. Louis Blues.

Steve was challenged with some major health issues over the last decade of his life, but earned the nickname "The Ox" for the strength he showed in overcoming them. His favorite movie was Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and his favorite line, "We'll outlast the bastard "  was the approach he took toward cancer. He would outlast it. And he did.

God freed him from that commitment when He took him home on October 15, 2019.

Steve will be remembered for his pride in his family and his jokes, dubbed "Pop-corn" that would have us all groaning. His passing leaves a big hole in our lives.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, www.lls.org.