Steven James Mendola

We lost Steven James Mendola in a fatal car crash on Monday, January 13, 2020. Steven was born on May 10, 1969 in Buffalo, NY. His parents, Chris and Sally (Hoffman) Mendola, moved to Ocala, Florida where Steve grew up making many life-long friends. He graduated from Forest high school and the University of Florida where he maintained a 3.9 GPA and achieved a Bachelor and Master of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering with a Minor in Business Management. He was a certified lifeguard and swim instructor and volunteered thousands of hours for Red Cross and coaching children sports teams. He also served as a Church Elder/Deacon for several years at St. John Lutheran Church in Ocala, Florida. Steven met his wife, Serena, in middle school. They dated through college and were married on October 23, 1993. They worked together as engineers for Motorola in Boynton Beach, FL for several years. Then they moved back to their hometown of Ocala, FL where they worked together again at ClosetMaid. Steven went on to become a Plant Manager for a few small companies around Ocala before moving with his family to Moundridge, Kansas in 2016. Steve recently worked as a Production Manager for Excel Industries in Hesston, KS. Steve and Serena have two boys. Piercen (20) graduated from Hesston High School, and is currently attending Kansas State University. He’s currently a library ambassador at K-state and volunteers as a middle school boy’s basketball coach in Manhattan, KS. Teague (17) is a junior at Hesston High School. He is very active with Robotics, and he plays the violin for church (Zion Lutheran Church), and as part of the BCAPA tour group. Steven loved spending time with his family, especially watching his boys play basketball, football, soccer, violin, robot competitions. He took his loved ones on many family vacations to the mountains and beaches, including a motorcycle tour of the Ozarks with his wife last fall for their 26th wedding anniversary. He was a wonderful cook and loved to BBQ and smoke (his smoked jerky, cheese, and seasonings were practically famous.) His Father still lives in Ocala. His mother passed away last January. His brother, Jeff Mendola, lives in Cheektowage, NY with his wife, Brenda, and their children Kara, Abby and Lauren. His sister, Cindi (Mendola) Williams, lives in Marietta, GA with her husband, Kip, and their children, Symphony and Journey. Cremation is planned. His final resting place will be in Ocala, Florida. A memorial service will be at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, January 18, 2020 at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Newton, KS. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions for Piercen’s and Teague’s education fund may be made payable to Serena Mendola and can be mailed to Moundridge Funeral Home, P.O. Box 410, Moundridge, KS. 67107.

Steven James Mendola

May 10, 1969 - January 13, 2020