Captain Stephen David Csintyan
April 10, 1960 – February 3, 2023
Retired USCG Captain Stephen David Csintyan, aged 86, passed away Feb. 3, 2023, in Sun City Center, Fla., after a short illness.
Steve was born at Flint General Hospital in Flint, Mich., on Jan. 16, 1937, son of Stephen and Margaret (née Simko) Csintyan. Steve’s beloved wife (whom he always referred to as his “girlfriend”), Patricia (née Gibson), was born at the same hospital two days before him and grew up two blocks away from him in Flint, Mich.
Incredibly proud of being a first-generation Hungarian American, Steve was the first in his family to go to college, graduating from the University of Michigan. Upon graduation, Steve went to flight training for the Marine Corps at Pensacola Naval Air Station in 1957 while Patricia went to nursing school. Steve was able to get a three day leave to return to Flint to marry Patricia on July 18, 1959.
While with the Marines, Steve and Pat were stationed in North Carolina where his son Mark was born on April 10, 1960. Steve then decided to join the Coast Guard, and they moved to Michigan where his son Gregory was born on January 3, 1962. Over the years with the Coast Guard, Steve and his family moved to Alaska twice, Puerto Rico twice, Texas, Louisiana, Illinois, Florida and Virginia. Steve retired from his last post, based in Puerto Rico, as commanding officer of the Greater Antilles in 1986. He then moved to Georgia, where he worked as a naval science instructor for Lassiter High School for 10 years.
When he retired for a second time in 1996, he and Pat moved to Sun City Center, Fla., and settled into their retirement. Among many other interests, Steve and Pat enjoyed traveling together and spoiling their granddaughters. Steve was a previous chairman of the Retired Officers Corporation (ROC), long-standing volunteer for the Sun City Center Guardianship Foundation and active member of St. John the Divine Episcopal Church. Steve’s favorite activities included Thursday poker nights, tennis, cycling and going to the beach.
Never one to boast or brag, it’s worthy to mention some of the incredible things Steve did throughout his life. Working overnights in a car plant in Michigan to be able to pay his way through college, flying President Eisenhower and his family on a tour of Afghanistan and India in 1959 and training with the astronauts while based in Houston in 1968 are just a few of his remarkable accomplishments. If you were to ask him, though, he would likely say he was most proud of his family - he enjoyed the last years of his life spending time with them.
Steve is preceded in death by his parents, Steve and Margaret, and his wife Patricia. He is survived by his brother, David (Margo) of Colorado; sons, Mark (Renee) of Georgia and Greg of Virginia; four granddaughters; and two great-grandsons. Services will be held at St. John the Divine Episcopal Church in Sun City Center, Fla., on March 4, 2023, at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation or the Freedom Plaza Scholarship Fund.
Steve was born at Flint General Hospital in Flint, Mich., on Jan. 16, 1937, son of Stephen and Margaret (née Simko) Csintyan. Steve’s beloved wife (whom he always referred to as his “girlfriend”), Patricia (née Gibson), was born at the same hospital two days before him and grew up two blocks away from him in Flint, Mich.
Incredibly proud of being a first-generation Hungarian American, Steve was the first in his family to go to college, graduating from the University of Michigan. Upon graduation, Steve went to flight training for the Marine Corps at Pensacola Naval Air Station in 1957 while Patricia went to nursing school. Steve was able to get a three day leave to return to Flint to marry Patricia on July 18, 1959.
While with the Marines, Steve and Pat were stationed in North Carolina where his son Mark was born on April 10, 1960. Steve then decided to join the Coast Guard, and they moved to Michigan where his son Gregory was born on January 3, 1962. Over the years with the Coast Guard, Steve and his family moved to Alaska twice, Puerto Rico twice, Texas, Louisiana, Illinois, Florida and Virginia. Steve retired from his last post, based in Puerto Rico, as commanding officer of the Greater Antilles in 1986. He then moved to Georgia, where he worked as a naval science instructor for Lassiter High School for 10 years.
When he retired for a second time in 1996, he and Pat moved to Sun City Center, Fla., and settled into their retirement. Among many other interests, Steve and Pat enjoyed traveling together and spoiling their granddaughters. Steve was a previous chairman of the Retired Officers Corporation (ROC), long-standing volunteer for the Sun City Center Guardianship Foundation and active member of St. John the Divine Episcopal Church. Steve’s favorite activities included Thursday poker nights, tennis, cycling and going to the beach.
Never one to boast or brag, it’s worthy to mention some of the incredible things Steve did throughout his life. Working overnights in a car plant in Michigan to be able to pay his way through college, flying President Eisenhower and his family on a tour of Afghanistan and India in 1959 and training with the astronauts while based in Houston in 1968 are just a few of his remarkable accomplishments. If you were to ask him, though, he would likely say he was most proud of his family - he enjoyed the last years of his life spending time with them.
Steve is preceded in death by his parents, Steve and Margaret, and his wife Patricia. He is survived by his brother, David (Margo) of Colorado; sons, Mark (Renee) of Georgia and Greg of Virginia; four granddaughters; and two great-grandsons. Services will be held at St. John the Divine Episcopal Church in Sun City Center, Fla., on March 4, 2023, at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation or the Freedom Plaza Scholarship Fund.