Steven Jay Hilderbrand

September 21, 1951 - November 2, 2021

Steven Hilderbrand was born on September 21st, 1951 in Marshalltown, Iowa. He was the eldest son of Shirley and Merle Hilderbrand. The family moved from Iowa to Huntington Beach, California in 1961. Steven always said that living in California was the best gift his parents ever gave him. He got a chance to grow up in a beautiful place in Huntington Beach, Orange County. It was a magical time in his life, he got to do everything he dreamed of in Southern California. He graduated from Fountain Valley high school in 1969. He joined the United States Marines Corps in 1969 and became a wire chief. While Steven served in the Marines, he received the National Defense Service Medal and achieved the level of rifle sharpshooter. He was honorably discharged in 1975. After the service, Steven worked in the auto body business, in sheet metal fabrication for Hot Rods by Boyd, was a technical advisor for Westech Motorsports, and worked as a department manager for Flexible Metal Hose Corporation and manufacturing engineer for Arrowhead Manufacturing Products. Steven met his wife Kay in Costa Mesa and married on June 2nd, 1990. They moved to Laguna Niguel until his retirement from aerospace at Arrowhead in 2013. Upon his retirement, Steven moved to a home in Menifee to enjoy the desert. He spent lots of time in the garage designing or restoring cars and hand fabricating parts. He loved to ride motorcycles, ATV’s, and go camping with friends in the desert for which he had an enduring passion. Steven also liked gathering for social events with friends, holiday meals filled with smiles, storytelling and laughter. He provided endless wisdom and guidance to his family across a wide range of subjects. Steven was a hardworking, principled and loving individual who loved God, his family, friends, and his work. He loved rock and roll music, science, nature, adventures, politics, religion, the military, commercial aircraft and aerospace products. He loved to talk and share stories. He especially enjoyed outdoor activities like exploring hiking trails, Historic State Parks and Beaches, traveling up to the California Coast and Nevada. In his late years, he often spent long mornings enjoying his breakfast and coffee with honey, listening to YouTube, and watching critters: bunnies, humming birds, and lizards in the front and back yard. He regularly attended Bible study with the Men’s group at the Impact Church. He also enjoyed talking to his mother and friends on the phone, visiting his longtime friends for lunch, holiday parties, and trips to the casino to have some beers and good food with relatives. Steven went with the Lord following a brief illness on November 2nd, 2021. Steven was preceded in death by his father, Merle and brother, Tom. He is survived by his mother, Shirley; wife, Kay; nieces, Krista and Alejandra; nephews, Brian, Israel and Drake, and great nieces, Makenna and Atalia and many wonderful brothers and sisters-in-law and caring friends. Steve was the most loving and caring husband, son, brother-in-law and uncle. He will be missed very much. But, with our loss, we are comforted knowing that he is in the heaven now with his father, Merle and brother, Tom looking over us His family would like to give special thanks to the doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists at Loma Linda hospital in Murrieta, relatives, neighbors, friends, BPMC group and the Men’s group whose compassion and kindness have made our grief bearable. A celebration of life will be held in the spring of 2022. In lieu of flowers, please donate to your choice of church or charity in Steve’s memory.