EL DORADO - On January 17, 2022, at 8:05 PM, Steve Latimer, DDS, left his mortal body and was called into the arms of his precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Louis Steven Latimer IV was born on April 3, 1946, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Louis Percy and Lois Marie (Newlin). Steve loved to share tales of his childhood antics, pranks, and hard work on their family farm in Cherokee, Oklahoma. Steve attended Emporia State University, where he obtained his undergraduate degree and met a beautiful, young woman named Nancy McCorkle; she caught his attention by setting her hair on fire in chemistry class. They dated for a year, often spending their “date nights” taking care of animals in the biology department. Steve and Nancy were married on August 26, 1967. After graduating in 1968, they moved to Kansas City, where Steve would attend the University of Missouri-KC, earning his Doctorate of Dental Science. After dental school, Steve joined the Navy and was stationed at U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay, Philippines, for three years. Steve and Nancy used this location as a jumping-off-point for travels throughout the Far East. He would never bore anyone with pictures, but he kept all enthralled with his stories of the people and places he encountered, with details so vivid it was as if you were there. His love of travel never ended. While on active duty, Steve honed his dental skills for the general public on unsuspecting sailors. In 1976, after transitioning to the Naval Reserve, he and Nancy moved to El Dorado, KS, where they planted roots and opened El Dorado Family Dentistry. Steve deployed to Bahrain in support of Operation Desert Shield/Storm and retired from the military in 1994, at the rank of Captain. He retired from El Dorado Family Dentistry in 2015, after 40 years of practice in his hometown community. Steve was not a quiet man, nor a shy person; his unique laughter will be missed by many. He had a huge personality and his presence filled the room. With his jokes and comments, he was always the life of the party. He was a faithful and generous giver, who provided many memories with friends and family. Steve loved to vacation with his family, and he enjoyed having large gatherings and sharing meals in his home, which was open to all. He was a hard worker and always willing to lend a hand; he left his mark in the homes of all his children through his love of projects and generosity of his time and knowledge. Steve was a voracious reader, who could be described as a jack-of-all-trades, master of some. Steve loved watching movies and could often be found by himself or with whoever of his family he could drag with him to the local theater. During these many years in El Dorado, Steve grew in his walk with Christ from a fact-based knowledge, to a longing for a deeper heart-felt relationship with his Savior, Jesus. From this, his desire to share Christ with those around him flourished as he fell in love with the God of the Bible. In the past year-and-a-half, he became involved in counseling at the Pregnancy and Family Resource Center and found serving and spreading the love of Christ rewarding. Steve is survived by his wife Nancy of 54 years (108 by Steve’s math), his five children and their spouses; Shannon Talbert (Greg) of Eolia, MO; Shawn Latimer (Amelia) of Springfield, MO; Shera Jones (Keith) of Wichita, KS; Shelby Holloman (Jerry) of Burlingame, KS; Shenel Smith (Jeremy) of Bel Aire, KS; 22 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren; sister, Diana Post (Scott) of Wichita, KS; and his three, furry buddies, Pooka, Buttons, and Zipper. He was preceded in death by his parents, Louis and Lois Latimer.
