Steven Michael Basoco, 64, ended his race here on Earth, and entered his heavenly father’s warm embrace on Dec. 27 at St. John’s Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, surrounded by his loving family.
He was born May 8, 1961, in Whittier, California, to Ernest Jasso and Patricia Marie Helena Price (Basoco.) Steve, Steven to his doting grandmother Imogene, was the oldest of their three children.
It did not take long for Steve to be recognized for his academics as a young student. Although he would let you know that he did not enjoy this, and did not want to be known for his intellect and gifts.
Steve also partook in wrestling during his time in school. He was a young and scrappy kid that didn’t take anything from anybody. This seemed to carry on into his adult life, too.
But, it’s important to note that he was also quick to defend those that he saw needed it. Due to their life at home, this had regularly become the case with his two younger siblings, Craig and Kathy.
Steve spent a lot of his childhood back and forth between his and his grandparents’ house. He adored his Grandma Imogene and Grandpa Hubert (Price), as well as his Grandpa Jesus and Grandma Espe (Basoco).
Steven was of both Hispanic and Native American descent. His Hispanic origins trace back to Chihuahua, Mexico. His family had moved from there, and came to settle in California.
And as for his Native American side, he was a citizen of the Cherokee Indian Tribe out of Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Official with a card, number and all. When talking with him, you could just feel the pride that he took in his ancestry. It was truly neat to hear him speak of it.
Steven was a vivid dreamer with high aspirations. As a young man, he did not like idle time. At the age of 20, he enlisted in the Army and was off to Korea.
He often shared that there wasn’t much in life that compared to the peace that he had felt when he heard the pilot announce that President Ronald Reagan had told them to stand down, and that they were to head back to the United States.
His time in the Army ended up serving him well. That is where he had met his first wife, Debbie, and was later blessed with their son, Michael.
Steven was part of the military police while serving in the Army. Upon getting out, Steven chose Parsons, Kansas to be his new home, as that is where some of his family had chosen to relocate to from California.
This was hard on his wife, because her family still lived in California. So, they had made the decision to divorce and go their separate ways, while having their son come to visit Steve in the summer.
Steve took what he had already experienced from his time in the Army, and found a civilian job that paralleled quite well. He chose to become a police officer for the town of Parsons.
He went on to meet his second wife, Christi Schultz (Appelman), and have two more sons, Spencer and Alexander. They lived in a tight-knit community that was known as the Winway addition. There, he attended Four Square Church with his young family. Some years passed, and with the challenges that Steve had faced in life, Steve and Christi respectfully went their own way in 2001.
Among Steve’s many talents, he was an avid fisherman, a sincere baseball collector, and a dedicated gardener — often sharing his harvest with those around him.
To relax, he could be found sitting in his recliner with a black coffee and a newspaper in hand. Steve loved the community of Parsons, and was proud to call it his home.
Steve spent his last few days in the presence of Jesus, his ultimate healer. Living in perfect peace from the struggles that had plagued him in life.
His family knows that after having experienced this peace for himself, if Steve could have one last conversation with you, he would leave you with these words of wisdom: Because Jesus was a human just like us, he knows our weaknesses, and what causes us despair. He loved us enough to provide us help here on earth, but that you have to be the one to take those first steps to begin to break those strongholds.
As his family, we would like to leave you with this: If you’ve lived your life battling addictions, and you want a change for you and your family, go and seek help. There’s many forms of help here on earth. From a praying church family, to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, or going to coffee with a friend. You are loved. You are valued. And you are not alone. But it takes you to reach out.
Steven was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Jesus and Espe (Basoco), and his maternal grandparents, Imogene and Hubert (Price). His father, Ernest, and mother, Patricia (Basoco), as well as his brother Craig Basoco.
Steven is survived by his sister Kathy (Lever) and her sons Daniel, Jesse, and Charlie of Kansas; his son Michael (Bethany) Amaya and their children, Kennedi and Harper of California; his son Spencer (Deanna) Basoco and their children, Jedediah, Holland, Taylin, and Tate of Oklahoma; and his son Alexander (Kaylah) Basoco and their children Violet, Benjamin, and Olivia of Kansas.
Funeral and memorial arrangements are currently being planned and will be announced at a later date.
The family asks that if you feel led to give, that in lieu of flowers you would consider making a donation to the Parsons Alcoholics Anonymous Chapter, or the Parsons Kansas Animal Shelter in honor of his love for his sweet dogs Bosco and Petey, who were so graciously taken in by his kind neighbor Darryl. Thank you.
