Stephen Gothard

Longtime resident at Camp Arden in Loon Lake, interior and rustic furniture designer Stephen (Steve) E. Gothard, 72, died at home December 1st. He was born January 17, 1946.

Steve was a native of LaGrange, Illinois and graduate of Elmhurst College with a baccalaureate degree in Economics and minors in Business and Art Design. After graduation Steve joined his family-led organization presenting seminars on practical life principles. During his eleven years with the business, it grew into a nationally recognized organization. Steve is also the principle writer for an award winning series of books selling over 2.5 million volumes. Steve’s other business experiences included owning an employment agency providing engineers, scientists, technicians, and administrative professionals for Fermilab, America’s particle physics and accelerator laboratory. During this time, Steve acquired and brought to market a revolutionary state of the art technology designed to replace the dangerous core and coil transformers that illuminated neon signage. The small, solid-state unit was standardized to match the length of varying neon tubing thus preventing over-heating.

Most recently, Steve owned and managed Arden Creek Designs which began as a project to teach his children, now grown adults, the business of building and marketing designs unique to the artisans of the Adirondacks. Steve and his son Stephen have expanded the company to include a wide variety of rustic furnishings and have become specialists in the application of birch bark wall coverings. His projects included major corporations, institutions, and private residents. Arden Creek Designs has been featured in the New York Times, ELLE DÉCOR, and Veranda Magazines. The television series, “Rustic Living and Vermont Living” features the work of Arden Creek Designs.

One of his most cherished accomplishments was serving nine years on the Adirondack Health Foundation Board. Steve was passionate about wildlife preservation, an avid collector of decoys and antiques, historian, and most of all loved his family and the Lord. Survivors include his wife, Sandra, daughter Christina Lawrence, son Stephen E. Gothard, II, two son’s-in-law Jasen and Joseph, and two grandchildren Asher and Asa. Steve has two sisters and two brothers and is preceded in death by his parents William and Carmen, and his sister Joan.

Fellowship and a memorial service will be held at the Fortune-Keough Funeral Home on Thursday December 12th from 4:30-5:30 with a memorial service to follow. All are welcome to attend and celebrate his life. The family has made a donation to the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge & Rehabilitation Center in Wilmington, NY in his name. We would ask that others consider a donation in lieu of flowers http://adirondackwildlife.org