Steven "Steve" C. Dinsmore

Mass of Christian burial for Steven “Steve” Dinsmore of Starbuck, MN will be at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, September 25, 2024 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Glenwood. Visitation will be from 4:30-7:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at the Starbuck Funeral Home and one hour prior to the services at the church on Wednesday. The Vietnam Veterans of America #235 from Alexandria will pray at 4:30 p.m. at the funeral home on Tuesday. Inurnment will be at Calvary Columbarium on Wednesday following the service. 

Steven Charles Dinsmore was born October 17, 1946 in St. Paul, Minnesota to Muriel Jane (Greenfield) and Dean Scott Dinsmore. He grew up and graduated high school in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. He attended Fergus Falls Junior College, where he received his two-year degree, and went on to graduate from Minnesota School of Business Senior Accounting Course, and received a Bachelor’s degree from Metropolitan State University. 

Steve married Patricia Murphy on June 21, 1968 (summer solstice – the longest day of the year per Steve’s constant reminder on every anniversary) at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church in south Minneapolis. Later that summer, Steve received his invitation (draft notice!) from Uncle Sam to join the Armed Forces during the Vietnam War. He decided instead to enlist for four years with United States Air Force. While in the Air Force, Steve received a Top-Secret Clearance and was assigned to the Security Service of the USAF as a Morse Code Intercept Operator Signals Intelligence Specialist. His duties there included eavesdropping on our foes while stationed at San Vito Dei Normanni Air Station near Brindisi, Italy where he was stationed for nearly three and half years. He was proud of the work he did and found it very interesting. Steve would say they were the “Silent Warriors” as they never spoke a word of what they knew. 

While in the Air Force, Steve and Pat were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Lara Jean, born at Kessler AFB, Biloxi, MS, Julie Ann, born at Wiesbaden AFB near Frankfurt, Germany, and when they returned to the states, son Michael Patrick born in south Minneapolis.

In January of 1979 the family moved from Minneapolis to Starbuck, MN, where Steve had taken a job in a public accounting firm. A few years later, Steve and Pat bought out the business and solely owned and operated it as Dinsmore Accounting until 1993, when they took on Mark Thompson as a partner until 2004 when Steve retired. 

Steve enjoyed being involved in his community and throughout the years was an active member of the community serving on the Starbuck City Council for twelve years (four as mayor), the Chamber of Commerce, the “founding board” and later Board of Directors for Glacial Hills Elementary, Sacred Heart Catholic Church Finance Committee, Vietnam Veterans of America, and the American Legion. 

Steve persevered through many health crises throughout his adult life and would often say the best investment he ever made was “health insurance”. At the age of 38, Steve was diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease, leading to 2 open heart surgeries and a heart transplant. This “change of heart” as he liked to call it, blessed him with another 25 years of life. 

Steve was known by many for his dry sense of humor, interesting stories, gift of calculating numbers, and odd trinkets around his office. He was a life-long learner, loved to travel, and was proud of his military background. He and Pat enjoyed time at their cabin, their home in Arizona, and taking their ten grandchildren on various trips. One of the most blessed gifts of his extended life was being able to meet his first great grandchild, Elsie Fay Amundson, born June 3, 2024. 

Steve passed away peacefully surrounded by family at the Glenwood Retirement Village on Sunday, September 15, 2024 as a result of congestive heart failure. He was preceded in death by his parents, Muriel and Dean Dinsmore; his in-laws, Margaret and Tom Murphy; uncle and aunt, Harold and Maybelle Dinsmore; brothers-in-law, Thomas Murphy, Thomas Lambert and sister-in-law, Kathleen (Murphy) Lambert.

Steve is survived by his wife of 56 years Pat, their children, Lara (Kurt) Amundson, Julie (Jay) Abraham, and Michael Dinsmore; his ten grandchildren, Andrew (Megan) Amundson, Jacob, Justin and Ryan Amundson, Jenna, Nick (fiancée Alexandra), Gabe, and Halle Abraham, Carter and Quintin Dinsmore, great-granddaughter, Elsie Fay; brother, John (Judy) Dinsmore; sister Joan (Steve) Martin, and many brother and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, and close friends.

Special thank you to all the staff at Glenwood Retirement Village, Glacial Ridge Hospice Team, Minneapolis Heart Institute Transplant Team at Abbott Northwestern, and especially Dr. Tom Haus for his primary care.

Steve’s family is forever grateful to the donor family for their “generous gift of life”, that blessed Steve with an additional 25 years. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to be used as donations to Steve’s favorite organizations. 

Starbuck Funeral Home in Starbuck is in care of the arrangements for Steve.