Stephen Charles Roades

Stephen Charles Roades passed away quietly in his home on June 5, 2026 in the presence of dear friends and family after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 73 years old. He is survived by his wife, Christine Wilkins Roades and his Daughter Kathryn Christine (Roades) Sosnowski and her husband Aaron Sosnowski. He had three grandsons, Miles Patrick Sosnowski17 years old, Otto Stephen Sosnowski, 15 years old and Hank Daniel Sosnowski 9 years old as well as his sister Kathryn (Roades) Bickel and her husband Donald and brother Bradley Roades and his wife Theresa.

Stephen was a mentor and friend to hundreds of friends and associates globally. Born in Colorado Springs December 29th, 1952, the middle child of Robert and Wanda Roades. Being born 4 days after Christmas, Stephen unfortunately often had his birthday overlooked and as a result made it his personal mission to be a generous and giving soul who enjoyed celebrating the golden moments of life. He knew how to entertain and host friends and family often with his advanced skills as a master of the barbecue and a cioppino feast on New Years.

It’s rare these days to say that a man is self-made, but in this case, it is immensely accurate. Stephen’s family relocated to Santa Cruz, CA in 1963. And in Santa Cruz he found a home that stayed with him throughout his life. He attended Soquel High School, in Santa Cruz and then transferred to Oak Grove High School in San Jose. His parents moved frequently and ultimately this empowered Stephen to easily make friends and associates. At Oak Grove, Stephen’s formidable skills as a golfer blossomed. He found a passion for which he ultimately succeeded and fostered throughout his life. Stephen’s love for the game was shared with many others who he encouraged. He understood and respected the majesty of the game and its traditions. He passed this love of the game to many people including his beloved grandsons.

He was a true child of the 60s and took complete advantage of the Bay Area and San Francisco in the heat of the Summer of Love, and the Hippie movement. He saw countless musical acts and developed a deep appreciation for all forms of music from Beethoven and Mozart to Miles Davis, the Who and his beloved Grateful Dead.

He took a job working at Burke Industries as a forklift driver and worked his way to vice president of the business including roofing and water containment. This job took him all over the world and his influence as a mentor and expert in the field took him to virtually every continent. His amazing work ethic influenced the roofing and pond lining industries and fostered friendships all over North America, Europe, Australia, The Caribbean, and Asia.

Stephen loved the outdoors. He often traveled to Maui which he considered his second home. He loved fishing trips to Montana. He spent many weekends attending as many of his grandson’s sporting events as possible where he was known as Coach Grampie .

He made every effort to surround himself with friends and family.

He will be dearly missed.

Please consider donating in Stephen’s name to First Tee Monterey County in support of youth Golf, or The Second Opinion helping cancer patients obtain and secure funding for critical second opinions. Links are provided below.