Stephen Bernard Caldwell

Stephen B. Caldwell was born April 12,1968, in Sacramento, CA. Steve spent his childhood in Sacramento, Chicago, England, Austria, San Francisco, Fresno, and Mill Valley.  As a three-year-old he traipsed around Europe with his mother and three siblings, often carried by his oldest brother, Troy.  For as long as anyone can remember, Steve idolized his brother and lifelong friend, Doug, who taught him to play the guitar.  Although Steve was mostly a classic rock and reggae fan, his first live show was to see the Dead Kennedys in San Francisco in the early 1980s, with his sister, Cristy.

From an early age, Steve’s greatest passions were music and martial arts, both of which he loved sharing with others.  In his teens, he followed Doug to Miami, where they trained together in kickboxing. In his twenties, back in San Francisco, he excelled at Jeet Kune Do (as he did in everything). A guitar accompanied him wherever he went.

Steve liked to laugh—he believed laughter to be the best antidote to stress.

Steve also enjoyed working hard, and took great pride in a job well done and in providing impeccable customer service.  He started working at the age of 16 at the Mill Valley Depot Bookstore; he drove a forklift in Sacramento, while studying music at City College; he was a moped bike messenger in San Francisco; a barista at The Toy Boat on Clement Street; a bartender and restaurant and bar manager (San Francisco, Lodi, Santa Cruz); and finally, he enjoyed a long successful career as a Sommelier in Pacific Grove, followed by a short stint as a wine distributor in Sacramento.  Steve received numerous awards and accolades for his expertise, including voted Best Sommelier in Monterey County for 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Throughout his life and work, Steve continued to play guitar and sing in small, local venues and from the back of his 4Runner overlooking the ocean.  Steve loved music and he loved the ocean — the sound of the waves, the rush of the wind, and the opportunity to reflect that gazing out over its vastness provided.  He dreamed of some day retiring to the Oregon Coast.

In 2024, Steve moved back to Sacramento to be closer to his father, Jim, and step-mother, Donna.  After his mother, Glenda, passed away in February 2020, he wanted to spend more time with family — particularly his father.  And he enjoyed the ever-present card games and laughter with Donna, and the walks with their dog, Brady.  While Steve thought that by moving back to Sacramento he could help care for his father as he aged, it was his father and especially Donna, who cared for Steve in his final days.  We are eternally grateful that they were with Steve in his final moments.

Steve was the baby of the family.  We are all so devastated by his passing.  He is survived by his father James Caldwell and step-mother Donna Caldwell (of Sacramento), his brother Troy and sister-in-law Sophia (of Corvallis, OR), his brother Douglas and sister-in-law Cherie (of Bayawan, Philippines), his sister Cristy (of Poulsbo, WA); nephews James Douglas (J.D.), Julian, Milan, Jono, Diego, and Kiren; and numerous cousins and aunts and uncles.  He was preceded in death by his mother, Glenda Caldwell.  On the anniversary of his mother’s birthday, he liked to light a candle and ring a bell three times, while remembering her life.  If you knew Steve, please take a moment now to remember him.  Steve passed away on March 11, 2025, at Mercy General Hospital, in Sacramento.  He was 56 years old.

No memorial service is planned at this time.

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