August 30, 2023 – Green Bay, WI – Steven Philip Dhein, 68, of Green Bay and Deerbrook, passed away peacefully at St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay on Monday, August 28 , 2023, surrounded by his family. He was born on September 12, 1954, to the late Willard and Annette (Solway) Dhein.
Steve grew up in West Bend and spent summers in Sturgeon Bay at the family’s property on Bay Shore Drive. He attended West Bend West High School and UW-Madison. After
graduating he moved to Green Bay where he owned a computer store and built a family of his own.
He married Debbie Yoder on September 3, 1993, in an intimate civil ceremony at the Brown
County Courthouse. They met on a blind date and enjoyed many happy years together.
In 2004, Steve was hired by Dr. David A. Cofrin as Chief Executive Officer for the 1923 Fund, a charitable foundation established by Dr. Cofrin and his wife, Mary Ann Cofrin. After
Dr. Cofrin’s death in 2009, Steve continued to administer and lead the philanthropic activities of the 1923 Fund Board of Advisors until his retirement in December 2022. Of the fund’s
many worthy causes, including natural conservation, community services, and the arts, he was especially proud of their contributions in Panama to support the Smithsonian Tropical
Research Institute (STRI).
In 2013, Steve was awarded the Chancellor’s Award by the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay for his sustained service and commitment to the university.
Steve loved gadgets—especially the free flashlights from Harbor Freight. He was an early adopter of many tech devices—the first guy on the block with an Amazon Echo. “Hey Alexa, play Marvin Gaye on Pandora!” He was an avid Packers fan and a news junkie from grade school on, and never one to miss a game or the five o’clock news.
He and Debbie spent all their spare time at the cottage near Antigo enjoying golf, fly fishing, and daily 6:00 p.m. rides on their pontoon boat. They also enjoyed restoring their historic home in Green Bay and collecting art from Wisconsin artists.
Steve will be greatly missed by his wife Debbie; sons Justin (Katie Moyer), Reed, and Blake (Haley VanDenack); sisters Cindy (Jack) Follick and Edie (Greg) Chmielewski; father-in-
law Bill (Mary) Yoder and Debbie’s family; as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews, and life-long friends.
In addition to his parents, Steve was preceded in death by his mother-in-law Alice (Dave) Whitmore. His life will be celebrated at the family’s Sturgeon Bay property next June. Online condolences may be expressed at www.prokowall.com.
Memorials in Steve’s honor may be given to the Door County Maritime Museum at dcmm.org.
