Steven Vandeputte Obituary It is with heavy hearts we announce the sudden passing of Steven Troy Vandeputte. Steve was born on October 6, 1961, in Brainerd, Minnesota, and it was in his beloved Lakes Area that he worked, played, and lived his whole life. Steve dedicated over 30 years of his life to the business he built with his brother, father, and grandfather. The legacy has been recently passed on to his son, CJ, who spent 21 years by his dad's side, wanting to be just like him. Anyone who dealt with Steve at Brothers Motorsports knew they'd be treated not just as a customer but as a friend and fellow motorsports enthusiast. His passion for snowmobiling and his local and state efforts to make riding and racing possible earned him many special connections. Steve loved all forms of adventure - he shared memories with countless people through hunting, fishing, riding motorcycle, watching NASCAR and the Twins, and traveling around the world. Perhaps his greatest adventure was the creation of Little Big Sky Ranch, where he made a long-time dream come true by building a haven for his Black Angus cattle. It brought him great joy to spend time getting to know his ranch neighbors, the Wieses, scouting birds and deer with his son, CJ, and stepson, Brandon, and sharing his second home with his friends. And what brought him the most joy was the time spent every Sunday riding to the ranch with his father and biggest supporter, Jim. Steve was so proud of his wife of 12 years, Wendy, whom he told again and again he fell in love with at first sight. For her part, Wendy confesses she's always found him devilishly handsome. They shared the most beautiful marriage and most precious children, and they thanked God for the blessings He placed upon their lives. Among their favorite memories were the recent motorhome trip to Tennessee and beautiful family photos, which brought him hope in the midst of darkness. Steve will be greeted in Heaven by his grandparents, Joseph and Leona (Vroman) Vandeputte and Herb and Lila (Johnson) Strowbridge. He is survived by his parents James and Barbara (Strowbridge), wife Wendy (Bonach), daughter Kalina, son Kyler, son Coltan (CJ) and his mother Kathleen, stepson Brandon Cizek, brother Chris and his wife Julie, sister Debra, mother and father-in-law John and Sherry (Hadrava) Bonach, brothers-in-law Brian and Alan, and countless other friends and relatives. In the spirit of Elvis, whom Steve and his mother both admired and appreciated, a quote from his last tour: "Til we meet you again, may God bless you. Adios." Steve's life will be celebrated with a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, November 8, 2013 at St. Francis Catholic Church in Brainerd. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 7, 2013, at St. Francis with a prayer service at 7:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to United States X-Country Snowmobile Racing (USXC) or St. Francis Catholic Church.