Stephen R. Mihaly

On February 2, 2019, Stephen R. “Ron” Mihaly (83) passed away peacefully following a long term illness.

Steve is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Donna (Jungling) Mihaly, and their five children: Richard and Cheryl (Raineri) Mihaly, Ronald and Patty (Ferry) Mihaly, Pat and Jesse Hodges, Mike and Joanne (Hewitt) Mihaly, and Sean Mihaly and Julie Herford.  The family further includes nine grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

 Steve and Donna were born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and married there on August 29, 1959.  Steve began his service to his country in the U.S. Army in 1954.  He enjoyed sharing fond memories of his experiences as a proud member of the 82^nd Airborne.  Following completion of his military service, Steve worked as an Air Traffic Controller, with the Federal Aviation Administration in Pittsburgh.  In 1963, he and his family relocated to Fairfax, Virginia, to begin a career in the new, up-and-coming field of “data processing” (for the much younger generations – that’s “computers”, so large in size that a single unit took up an entire large room).   The family soon moved to the Washington, DC suburb, Bowie, Maryland in 1964.  The family resided in Bowie until 1979, before moving to Davidsonville, Maryland.  Steve continued his work in the industry for many years in various positions with the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA), the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Department of Justice.  After 35 years of Federal service, in 1994 Steve retired from his position as Assistant Director for Operations at the U.S. Department of Justice Data Center, Rockville, Maryland.

Steve was an outgoing man often noted and remembered for his smile and blue eyes.  He was always willing to help anyone in need, and readily accepted an invitation to go for a beer with a friend!  He was a wonderful teacher to his children in life, especially to his sons in making vehicle and home repairs – many of which the boys contributed to causing!  He had a fondness for the German Shepherd dog breed – pulling “Olaf” out of his pocket to offer him to Donna as a puppy wedding gift, and much later buying “Kip”, the family dog.  He enjoyed his time spent relaxing at the condo on the beach with his wife and family in Ocean City, Maryland.  He enjoyed drives in his convertible “Shatzy” – German for “sweetheart; darling”.  These are just a few of the qualities he possessed and only some of the many, many things we will lovingly remember of a good life, lived.

Steve was a Fourth Degree, lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus, Sacred Heart Council #2577, Bowie, Maryland 20715.  He was also a member of the Benevolent Order of the Elks, Lodge #2645, Ocean City, Maryland 21842.  He was also a member of the American Legion, Post #0066, Bowie, Maryland 20715.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Hospice of the Chesapeake, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena, Maryland 21122.  The family extends its sincerest of thanks for the outstanding, compassionate care and support so gently and professionally provided by the staff.