Steven Schaefer changing light bulbs at the pickleball courts.
Cynthia Schwartz
Steven was born and raised in Seattle, Wash. Growing up, Steven spent summers at his grandfather’s cabin in the San Juan Islands. He enjoyed scuba diving, hiking, playing ping-pong, waterskiing in 45-degree water, flying homemade kites, and fishing for salmon. Steven was a pole vaulter, played soccer, and embarked on his journey to earn a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
During his early college years, Steven joined the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and served as a boatswain’s mate on patrol boats based in Seattle. He went to Alaska, fished on a 160-foot catcher/processor in the Bering Sea, and was seasick for two weeks. He earned money to pay for flying lessons and obtained a private pilot’s license. Steven attended Central Washington University, where he enrolled in the Air Force ROTC program. “As a cadet, I attended the Army Airborne Parachute Jump School at Fort Benning, Ga. During a night training jump from a C-130 Hercules aircraft, I was so anxious that I thought I was going to pee my pants! At Luke Air Force Base, I got a ride in the backseat of an F-16. The pilot practiced dogfighting with another F-16 at 30,000 feet. We pulled 8.3 Gs. I vomited twice and passed out. That’s when I decided that I didn’t want to fly fighters.”
In 1988, Steven graduated college with a major in Flight Technology, minor in Aerospace Studies, and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. He served as an Executive Officer in Columbus, Miss. After leaving the Air Force, he returned to Washington to pursue Sandy’s hand in marriage and find employment. He said, “I didn’t want a desk job, so I joined the Seattle Police Department, specializing in Community Policing, which uses problem solving to reduce crime.”
Sandy and Steven were married and lived in Burien, Wash., for five years. In 1999, they moved to Walla Walla, Wash., where Steven could be a “small town cop” and could raise their son Matthew. Steven and Sandy purchased their first self-storage business as an investment. In a few years, the company grew large enough that Steven left law enforcement to manage their business.
In 2019, Sandy and Steven retired and moved to PebbleCreek. After taking a pickleball class, Steven became hooked on the sport. “A 5.0 player told me that if I wanted to get better, I would have to practice. I watch instructional videos, practice almost every day, and drill with a group every week. My favorite thing about the club is meeting people and hearing about their amazing careers, families, and travels. I’ve made more friends at our club in the last two years then in my entire 35 year working career!” Steven joined the Maintenance Committee. He does maintenance at the courts, including cleaning, installing signs, and repairing fences. Thank you, Steven, for volunteering.