Steve Toillion

Steven Edward Toillion, age 62, of Auburn, KS, passed peacefully on May 22, 2025.

A service to celebrate and remember Steve's life will be on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the Central Church of Christ, 1250 SW College Ave, Topeka, KS 66604. A time of visitation with the family will follow the service. Memorials are suggested to Tallgrass Christian Camp left in care of the Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home.

Steven Edward Toillion was born on August 9, 1962, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to David Lee and Marion Y'vonne (Koch) Toillion. The youngest of four children, Steve grew up on a 160-acre farm in Pierre, South Dakota, alongside his three siblings: Debbie, Mark, and Kathy. Steve's childhood was filled with the joys and challenges of farm life, which helped shape his deep appreciation for hard work, family, and the outdoors. One time, Steve and Jim (now brother-in-law) went jackrabbit hunting. As they were getting back into the truck, Jim's rifle accidentally went off, shooting Steve in the leg. Later that day, when their dad came home and walked through the door, he found Steve lying on the floor. "What are you doing?" he asked. "I've been shot," Steve replied. Dad rolled his eyes—it wasn't until Steve showed him the actual bullet hole that he finally believed him.

After high school, Steve attended York College in York, Nebraska. During his time there, he was honored with the title of Mr. York College, an award voted on by the entire student body. The Delta Chi Alpha women's club also selected Steve as their Beau of the Year, a distinction they awarded to one outstanding young man—and they chose Steve. It was at York that Steve met the love of his life, Jana. Over the course of four and a half years, their relationship blossomed, marked by deep friendship and growing love. That journey led to a romantic proposal on a balcony overlooking the historic London Bridge. Steve and Jana were married on a snowy winter's day in Lincoln, NE on December 27th, 1985.

Steve followed in his father's footsteps by studying civil engineering, beginning at York College and continuing at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He also spent time at Lubbock Christian University and eventually graduated from Texas Tech in May 1986.

Throughout Steve's early career, he and Jana moved often with his training program—living in Oklahoma City; Denver; Columbia, TN; Atlanta; Indianapolis; and Chicago. In 1999, they moved to Kansas and began building their home on 30 acres in Auburn. After two years of tireless work, the nearly completed home was tragically struck by lightning and burned to the ground. True to Steve's resilient nature, the family rebuilt—this time with a simpler design and more help from contractors. The property became a place of peace and purpose, where Steve found great joy growing alfalfa and prairie hay, caring for his beloved animals—horses, cows, dogs, and cats, working on various projects for himself and others, and most importantly just enjoying the outdoors.

Steve and Jana were blessed with three children and three grandchildren; daughters Kristin Johansen (Kelly), Alyssa, and son Kyle Toillion (Emma). His three grandchildren are Jaxton and Adelade Johansen and Blake Toillion. He took great pride in being Dad and Papo, and was always eager to share his knowledge and experience. Steve truly invested his time and energy in his children. He was either explaining how something worked, teaching a life lesson, or walking them through a project step-by-step. He was patient, intentional, and always made time to teach—not just with words, but by example.

It was classic Steve to have you working on a project—often struggling through it—only for him to walk in, and pull out the perfect tool he'd had all along that could do the job in a fraction of the time. The kids always got a kick out of it—it was the perfect mix of "are you kidding me?" and "of course you had that!" It's become a running family joke and a memory they'll always treasure.

If you knew Steve, you knew he was never short on a story—and never told a short story. 🙂 He loved sharing about his latest project, whether it involved repairing farm equipment or brainstorming a new idea. There was always a tractor broken down or something that needed fixing, and Steve was always ready with a solution—meticulously planned, carefully researched, and perfectly executed. He never took shortcuts. He had a spreadsheet for everything and made sure things were done not just well, but right.

Steve was diagnosed about three years ago with interstitial lung disease and rheumatoid arthritis. His lung condition—more specifically known as Farmer's Lung—was likely the result of decades spent working around dust, paints, stains, and fumes, not always with a mask. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, it attacks what was weakest in his body—in Steve's case, his lungs.

Tragically, Steve experienced a rare and acute progression of the disease, possibly triggered by a virus, though that's something we may never know for sure. After nearly fourteen days in the ICU and countless tests, every result came back negative. All of his other organs were functioning well—only his lungs were failing.

Jana reflected on this as a powerful image of the Body of Christ: when one part isn't working properly, it can affect the whole. Steve's condition became a sobering reminder that each member matters, and when one suffers, the entire body feels the pain.

While in the hospital, his Christ-like spirit continued to shine. Nurses began sharing their own family news and would greet us with warm hugs. We discovered mutual friends and unexpected connections within the community. Hospital staff often commented on the incredible support of our friends, noting how deeply loved he was by the sheer number of visits and the constant stream of prayers.

One of Steve's doctors came in one day, and while discussing the details of his treatment and medications, he became visibly emotional—his eyes filled with tears and his voice caught in his throat. He kept repeating how much he liked Steve and what a truly great guy he was.

Steve will be remembered for his deep love for his family, his steady faith, his servant heart, and his unwavering work ethic. His legacy lives on in the lives he touched and the land he lovingly tended. And as he would say, "Glad you got to see me."