Obituary of Steve Mayfield

A super hero entered into Heaven yesterday, Monday, March 13, 2017. Steve Mayfield passed away peacefully with his adoring wife of nearly 32 years at his side in their home, after a brave and long fought battle with ALS. He was 55 years old. Steve was born January 24, 1962, the son of Bud and Deanna Mayfield, in Decatur, AL. He completed high school at Cullman, where he was a superstar basketball athlete and High School All-American. He still holds the record for scoring the most points in a game in Cullman, 44 points, before the 3-point shot had begun. He played basketball at Snead State College before transferring to UNA in Florence, AL. Steve was truly one of those people who excelled at everything he ever did! He graduated from UNA with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education, Health and History. It was right before graduation from college that he met the love of his life, Amy Brewer Mayfield. They married right after he graduated from UNA and she had graduated from high school, barely 18. Together, they begin their life, moving to Georgia for 3 years where Steve would begin his long coaching and teaching career. This is where Steve’s legacy began for influencing students for many years to come. In 1988, Steve and Amy moved back to Florence when Steve became the head basketball and assistant football coach at Waterloo High School. He coached there for many years, making many wonderful memories with fantastic people. In 1993, Steve moved to teach and coach at Central High School in Florence, where he stayed until his retirement after almost 30 years of a career in teaching and coaching. He coached basketball, football, golf, while there. He truly loved his students, his players, and his fellow teachers. The Central community has loved Steve as their own and he loved them. Some of his best friends have come from his association with Central and he treasured them all. His greatest joys was always his wife, Amy, and 2 sons, Garrett Mayfield and Brooks Mayfield. He coached and guided them, loved them fiercely, and sacrificed for them, doing everything that he could to give them every opportunity, need, and want in this world. He was so proud of the golfing ability of his son, Garrett, and the fact that he was able to coach him to a full golf scholarship and go on to see him become a PGA teaching professional. He was so proud of the writing ability and the dedication of Brooks, who took on championing the cause of trying to encourage the FDA to pass a medicine quickly for patients with ALS, even traveling to Washington, DC to meet with Senators and Congressmen to beg for their help in speeding up the approval process in the hope that Steve could stay longer on this Earth. Steve was truly an angel on Earth with the true spirit of Jesus. He gave to anyone who needed. He did not judge. He only loved and helped. Many times he provided students with new school clothes, Christmas gifts, trips, and no one ever knew. He took in on several occasions Amy’s family members at various trials in their life and never batted an eye to provide for their every need. He literally would open his home, his heart, and his resources to anyone who needed them. He had a huge support group of coaching, golfing, and old buddies who fought with him to the very end. He loved them like brothers and they made sure they were always there for him. For them and their support and love of Steve, the family is eternally grateful. Throughout his illness, Steve remained calm and assured his friends and family that he was never afraid. He knew he was going to be a winner either way; either healed on Earth and allowed to stay here longer, or healed in Heaven where we will all be reunited for eternity. He was preceded in death by his wonderful father, Rev. Bud Mayfield and his grand-parents Roy and Birtie Howell and Johnnie and Hazel Mayfield, and his adoring mother and father in law, A.M. and Ann Brewer. He leaves to his precious memory his heartbroken wife Amy Brewer Mayfield, sons, Garrett Mayfield and Brooks Mayfield. His beloved mother, Deanna Mayfield, his precious niece, Mollie Mayfield and sister in law, Emily Mayfield, who he has helped to raise as his own, seeing that she was only 8 when he and Amy married. His adoring brothers Mark Mayfield (Cindy), Brad Mayfield, and sister Lynne Mayfield Morris (Jeff), a host of nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews whom he loved dearly, his precious golfing/coaching buddies and old friends, and his special cousins who never left his side in his last two days of life as we tried to care and comfort him, Barbara Cole and Kendra Sandlin. He also loved his English Bulldog, Pebbles, although he would never admit it. The celebration and home-going service for Steve will be Wednesday, March 15, 2017 at Lone Cedar Church of Christ. Address for GPS is 10160 County Rd 47; Florence, AL 35634. Visitation will begin at 10:30 am until 2:00pm with the service to follow immediately. Officiating will be Brother Tim Grigsby and Steve’s brother, Pastor Mark Mayfield. A private graveside will be held. Pall bearers will be David Corl, Jerry Fulmer, Mike Stamps, Todd Nelms, Jay Hendricks, and Mark Butler, and Duane Keener. Honorary Pall bearers will be life long friend David Smith, Heath Wood, Earl Moore, Doug Trousdale and a host of former golf and coaching buddies. Central High School is beginning the Steve Mayfield Memorial Scholarship Fund for students in need or help with their education. You may honor Steve by contributing to this scholarship by sending your donation to Central High School in care of Principal Duane Keener. The family would like to thank from the bottom of our hearts the communities of Greenhill, Rogers High School, the Central School Nation and Central community, St. Florian Family Clinic with Gina Brewer, Brenda Woodard, and Cortney Davis. Additional special thanks to John Passarella for his physical therapy in Home Health and love, the staff at Peak Performance for their love, and Amedisys Hospice nurses for their loving care, and Katie Gullion from the ALS Association. Our hearts are broken on Earth, but we know that Steve is in the arms of his Heavenly Father, his daddy, and a host of relatives gone before. He is now back to being strong and well and the athlete he once was. For that peace we thank our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.