Hermiston High School Class of 1963

Last update: 7/31/09

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Steve Caldwell, Oct. 14, 2004

Steve was born in Pendleton, Oregon on May lst, 1943, to mother Alice Ruber and father "Tiny" Caldwell.
 

At a very young age he would look to the sky every time a plane would fly overhead. He dreamed of a day when he could fly in the sky. He also had a love for speed. At age ten, he started building his own go-carts. By age fourteen he frequented Loop Road between Hermiston and Stanfield, with childhood friends Gary Ledgerwood and Terry Martin. He wanted to figure out how to make his cart go faster so he learned about fiberglass and from that day forward he became a fiberglass engineer. Steve modified everything including his H.S. car so that you had to know where the button was in order to open the door. He graduated from Hermiston High in '63, attended college in Moses Lake, Washington and then moved to Portland to work as a fiberglass repair tech. He soon started his own business manufacturing high performance speed boats. He moved this business to Hermiston where he with his wife Jeanie, family and friends frequented the Columbia River to test out every single Caldwell, high performance speed boat. In the 1980's he owned Caldwell Satellite T. V. & Video where he manufactured his own fiberglass satellite dishes.
 

Steve visited the airport anytime he could from the time he could walk and talk, getting rides from other pilots. Steve was quickly bitten by the flying bug which turned into a life long love of flying. He quickly outgrew his first plane, a Cessna 172, named "Fox-Trot Charlie", wanting a faster, more maneuverable plane. Steve, being a fiberglass-composite  expert, naturally yearned to build his own high performance aircraft. In1995 he started building his own plane which he flew to many air shows, winning many trophies and awards. In July of this year he won the 2004 Lindey Grand Champion Trophy at the "World's Biggest Air Show" in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. There were over 600 planes in his class at the Oshkosh Air Show. Steve was a perfectionist in everything he did. He commented "while most people look at the clock to see when they can leave work, I look at the clock and say where did the day go". To unwind Steve enjoyed gardening, his dogs, bicycling, snow and water skiing, and helping others. He is a beloved, father, husband and friend. He is survived by his daughter, Michelle Christy Rocheld of Tigard, OR, son, Steven E. Caldwell of Milwaukie, OR, step-son, Craig Caldwell of Pendleton, OR, sister, Myrna Pugsley, Portland, OR, special aunt Betty Holt, aunts, Irene Zeppenfield, Jean Beebe, Martha Shockman and Agnis Ayres, Uncle Harry Ruber and many friends