Steve E. Holton, 75, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, passed away on April 8, 2026, in Albany, New York. Born on February 8, 1951, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Steve was a man whose life was defined by one word: service. Service to his country, service to his sailors, and service to his family.

Steve graduated from R.J. Reynolds High School in 1969 and enlisted in the United States Navy in March 1970. He completed Nuclear Power Training and Submarine School before reporting to his first submarine, USS James K. Polk (SSBN 645), beginning a distinguished career in the silent service. Over the decades he served aboard USS Simon Bolivar (SSBN 641) and USS Parche (SSN 683) as Chief of the Boat, accumulating deterrent patrols and earning the trust of every sailor who served alongside him. He graduated from the Navy Senior Enlisted Academy with Academic Excellence in 1986 and twice received the rare distinction of being selected as a CNO Directed Command Master Chief, first for the Chief of Naval Technical Training and later for the Commander, Navy Recruiting Command. He retired as a Machinist's Mate Master Chief, Submarine Qualified, after 31 years of honorable service. His awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal with gold star, Navy Commendation Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with three gold stars.

Steve's service to his country did not end with his retirement. He went on to serve in a civilian capacity with the United States Navy, ultimately leading the Suicide Prevention Program at the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, continuing his lifelong commitment to the wellbeing of the sailors he loved.

As a father, Steve led by example. His was a quiet strength expressed in measured and softly spoken words that accompanied his diligence, the consistency of his provision, and a life of service that showed his children every day what it meant to give yourself fully to something greater than yourself. He did not simply tell his family how to serve; he showed them. With his grandchildren he was a different kind of light, active, playful, and at his most joyful in their presence.

Steve is survived by his beloved wife, Colleen Holton; his son Micah Holton, married to Mandy Holton, and their children Luciana (19), Anna Claire (16), and Grayam (11); his daughter Sarah Amos, married to Mathieu Amos, and their children Madisyn (17), Jackson (15), and Sydney (12). He is survived by his mother, Betty (Holton) Tuttle, and preceded in death by his father, John Q. Holton III, his brother, John Q. Holton IV, and his sister, Robin Holton. He is also survived by Colleen's children and grandchildren who became part of his life and family: her daughter Krista Moon and husband Cole Moon, and their children Wesley Cole (7) and Lyla Rose (5), and her son Justin Klemke.

Steve Holton gave his life in service, to his nation, to his sailors, and to those he loved. It is fitting that he will be laid to rest with full military honors beneath the waters of the sea he spent a lifetime serving under. A submariner to the end, he now rests not in the ocean's depths, but in the arms of his Heavenly Father, at peace, at last, in waters far greater than any he ever sailed.