Steven Kucera

Steven Arnold Kucera, age 58, of Aquilla, formerly of West, passed away at his home on May 17, 2026, following a courageous battle with ALS.

Funeral services will be held 10:00 a.m. Friday, May 22, 2026 at St. Mary's Catholic Church of the Assumption in West, with The Rev. Aaron M.G. Zimmerman, of St. Alban's Episcopal Church, officiating at the service, assisted by The Rev. Garrett Lane. Burial will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery near West. The family will receive visitors from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Thursday at Aderhold Funeral Home in West. 

Steven was born on January 3, 1968 in Waco and was a 1986 graduate of West High School. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration with a focus on Information Systems in 1991 from Baylor University. He married the love of his life, Stephanie Symank, on June 2, 1990, in Waco. They shared nearly 36 years of marriage. Steven dedicated 34 years to information systems, beginning his career at Texas Instruments in Plano and later at Ericsson in Richardson. For the past 28 years, he served Baylor University, where he most recently held the position of Assistant Vice-President for Information Systems and Services. 

His life was defined by selfless service to others. Steven was described as a compassionate friend to all, who was always present, listening, and adding value. He was an analytical thinker who could figure out difficult problems and always put others' needs before his own. 

Steven and Stephanie joined the Episcopal Church in 1990. He was an usher at St. Alban's Episcopal Church and previously served on the Vestry at Church of the Holy Spirit in Waco, including a long stint as treasurer. Steven was devoted to his community, volunteering as a coach for youth baseball and serving as treasurer for both the West League Booster Club and the West Athletic Booster Club. Keeping his Czech heritage alive was important to him; he served as associate director and was Co-Chairman of the Westfest Taroky Tournament for over 20 years and helped run Tarock tournaments across central Texas, forming great friendships within the Tarock community. 

Steven found joy in hunting, fishing, golfing, camping, working on the farm, and watching John Wayne movies. He cherished time with his family, especially sitting on the back porch listening to good old country music while watching the deer and wildlife. He loved his family deeply and was especially proud of his three little grandsons, whom he affectionately called his "cowboys." 

Steven was preceded in death by his parents, Jerry and Dorothy Kucera; his brother, Jerry Kucera Jr.; and his father-in-law, Charles Symank. 

He is survived by his wife, Stephanie Kucera; his twin sons and their wives, Jackson and Katie Kucera of Robinson and Nicholas and Reagan Kucera of West; his grandsons, Benjamin, Thomas, and Read; his sister and brother-in law, Monica and Dan Ferguson; his brother and sister-in-law, Paul and Loretta Kucera; his sister and brother-in-law, Angela and Tony Thompson; his mother-in-law, Joyce Symank, along with several nieces and nephews. 

Pallbearers will be Drew Bearden, Bobby Carpenter, George Huang, Mark Hutyra, Rusty Johnson, Ashley Orr, Ralph Sherman, and Brian Sykora. Honorary pallbearers are the Baylor University Information Systems and Services department whom he fondly referred to as "family." 

The family is grateful to Dr. Jonathan Willis, Dr. Jaya Trivedi, Mark Dula, PA, and Bluebonnet Hospice for their compassionate care. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the ALS Association or the charity of your choice. To continue honoring their loved one, and in keeping his memory alive, the family asks that people share random acts of kindness with others who can never repay the favor.