My Dad, Robert “Lyle” Stegeman, passed away on July 18, 2026. Even though we are separated by almost 2000 miles (from Saskatchewan to Pennsylvania) our kind Heavenly Father gave our family 3 days to spend with “Papa” before he died. We will always treasure those times. 

For the past 3 decades, Dad’s health was not great. He suffered from a heart condition that greatly weakened him and led to numerous surgeries and procedures, not to mention all the medical appointments. Dad faced these health challenges with courage and a positive attitude. I was only 12 years old when Dad got sick, and I never dreamed that God would sustain him all these years. I am so thankful He did. 

Many words could be used to describe my Dad – genuine, accepting, kind, humble, warm, and endearing, just to name a few. And while it is impossible to describe him in a short article like this, here are a few of the ways I will remember him.  

A Farm Man

Dad loved everything about the farm life. It says in his obituary, “Lyle was raised at the Stegeman farm at Resource, SK and it was here that his true love for farming began, a passion which continued throughout his life right until his final days when he was discussing canola fields, spray drones, and the upcoming harvest.” 

I have fond memories of bringing in the harvest with Dad. When I was old enough, Dad often let me drive the combine harvester while he drove the grain truck and kept everything else going. It was the most exciting time of the year on the farm.  

From Dad’s perspective, farming wasn’t just a “job.” It was a lifestyle and he knew what he was doing really mattered.  

A Sports Man

Dad played every sport under the sun, and he was good at them too. His favorite sports were hockey, baseball, and golf. 

During the summer, Dad and I golfed a lot together. It was a great bonding time for us and there are not many courses in northeast Saskatchewan where we didn’t golf together. It was especially fun for me when my golf game improved to the point where I consistently started to beat Dad. 

Dad and I also watched sports together. We were both fanatics and most of the time we cheered for the same teams. Over the years, we attended at least a dozen Saskatchewan Roughrider (CFL) football games together. 

A Bible Man

It was a common sight to see Dad reading his Bible. He loved the Word of God and he loved to hear the Word preached. I never sensed any doubt in Dad’s mind about the authority and reliability of the Bible. He trusted it fully and endeavored to conform his life to the teaching of Scripture. 

One time when I was in college and was starting to think more theologically, I came home and asked Dad, “Do you believe in election and predestination?” He said, “Well, ya!” He proceeded to defend that position scripturally. That was vintage Dad. 

After Dad asked me to preach at his funeral, he exhorted me over and over to “preach the Word!” (2 Timothy 4:2). 

A Legacy of Faith

The foundation of Dad’s life was his love for the Lord, but that extended to those around him, particularly his family. Dad loved Mom, he loved us kids, and he loved people in general.

During his final days on earth, Dad couldn’t stop talking about the goodness of the Lord. He said that while “all men are sinners, Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6). More than once we witnessed him choking up and crying when he talked about Jesus dying for his sins. Even after more than 60 years of walking with the Lord, Dad was still amazed that Christ would die for him, a sinner. 

My Dad’s earthly race is now complete. Just like Abel in the Old Testament, “though he died, he still speaks” (Heb 11:4). This is true of Dad because of his faith in Jesus Christ. 

The text I chose to preach on for Dad’s funeral was Psalm 90. Verse 12 reads, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” The Lord graciously gave Dad about 80 and a half years – more precisely, 29,290 days. That’s a big number and we are grateful for all the memories he has left us.    

I was never so proud of Dad as I was during those final days of his life as he expressed unwavering confidence in the promises of Scripture and the hope of the gospel. While we miss him dearly, we are not grieving as those without hope (1 Thess 4:13). We have every confidence that he is experiencing the glory of Christ (John 17:24) and that we will one day see him in heaven.