Steven John Frasher, beloved husband, father, and decorated Naval officer, passed away on July 10, 2026. He was 78 years old.
Born on March 3, 1948, in Wadsworth, Ohio, Steve was a man defined by his quiet strength, his deep sense of duty, and his lifelong devotion to family. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Stephenie; their son, Jason; and his two younger sisters, Vickie Meyers and Cathy Frasher.
Steve graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1970 and was accepted into the Navy’s highly selective Nuclear Power Program — the beginning of a distinguished 25-year career in submarine service. He served as New Construction Engineer on the USS New York City (SSN-696), Executive Officer on the USS Skate (SSN-578), and Commanding Officer of the USS Permit (SSN-594). During the Gulf War, he served as Submarine Operations Officer during operations targeting Mosul, Iraq. He later served in Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Oversight in Cairo, Egypt, where he retired from the United States Navy in 1995. Following his retirement, he continued his service to the country as a civil contractor in Foreign Military Sales.
In 2019, Steve and Stephenie made their home in Sarasota, Florida, where he found a warm second chapter as a member of the Parrish Playworks community — performing on stage and serving on its Board of Directors, bringing the same commitment to that stage that he had brought to everything in his life.
He was a man who served his country with honor, loved his family without reservation, and met every stage of life with steadiness and grace.
Services will be held on September 25th. A Mass will be held at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church on Rt. 70 at 11 am. Interment will be held at the Sarasota National Cemetery at 2:30 pm.. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that donations be made in Steve’s memory to the Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation.
Updated: July 21, 2026
Curator: Ed Moore