The following article featuring Steve appeared in the newspaper:
"Twenty-year-old Steve Decker felt a little funny with the eight women
staring silently at him.
A spotlight illuminated his face. The women, aged 16 to 44,
coolly rated his eyes, his hair, his facial structure, his overall
appearance. He said nothing.
'They just told me to sit there for five minutes or so, and then
they made notes on you,' said the Mattoon resident, now a student at
the Univeristy of Illinois.
'It was kind of strange. They had it in Garcia's, which is a
pizza place here. They had a light--it was like drop-lamp--sitting on
a table because the lighting was bad. It was shining into your face.
It was like being grilled.'
The eight obviously liked what they saw, because Decker became
one of the dozen models for Midwest Portraits' newly published Double
Take calendar featuring the men of the U of I. The 1984 calendar is
to be the Midwest's answer to the nationally popular beefcake calendar
featuring the men of the University of Southern California."
Police: Fort Lauderdale man shot himself inside home
SWAT team sent to house over weapons complaint
BY SOFIA SANTANA | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
May 17, 2008
FORT LAUDERDALE - Police officers and a SWAT team surrounded a CoralRi dge house Thursday night to investigate a weapons complaint andlater f ound the homeowner dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound,officials s aid.
For more than five hours, police descended on the neighborhood. Theyat tempted to get the man to come out of the house in the 2100 blockof No rtheast 54th Court, but to no avail, said Sgt. Frank Sousa, FortLauder dale police spokesman. After firing gas canisters into thehome, the SW AT team went inside and found the man dead at about 11:15p.m., Sousa s aid.
Police identified the man as Steven R. Decker, 44.
County records list Decker as the owner of at least a dozen propertiesi n the Fort Lauderdale area. At least two of them, including theCoral R idge house, went into foreclosure recently, court recordsshow. On Thur sday, Decker received a notice that the Coral Ridgehouse was to be sol d next month at an auction for foreclosedproperties, according to the r ecords.
Police said they don't know if Decker's financial situation played anyr ole in his death.
"We'll never know," Sousa said.
Published in the Journal Gazette & Times-Courier (Mattoon-Charleston,I L) on 5/20/2008:
"Decker, Steven Ray
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Steven Ray Decker, 44, of Ft. Lauderdale,Florid a, formerly of Mattoon, passed away on Thursday, May 15, 2008,at his r esidence. Graveside services will begin at 11:00 a.m. onWednesday, May 2 1, in Pleasant Grove Cemetery at Cooks Mills with theReverend Dr. Mark P revo officiating. No visitation is planned. TheSchilling Funeral Home i s assisting his family with the arrangements.Steven was born August 28 , 1963, in Mattoon, a son of James W. andBonnie (Young) Decker. Surviv ors include his parents, Jim and BonnieDecker of Effingham; two sister s, Shelley Hunt and husband Dave ofBloomington and Cindy Beckwith and h usband Bryon of Westminster,Colorado; his brother, Randy Decker and wi fe Lupe of Midland, Texas;several nieces and nephews; five great-nephe ws; and special friends,Diane Stephenson and George Bresnock of Ft. La uderdale, Florida. Mr.Decker was the owner and operator of Barbone, In c. and engaged formany years in real estate development in the Ft. Lau derdale area.Memorial gifts in his honor are suggested to the First Ch ristianChurch Memorial Fund."
Decker, Steven Ray
MATTOON - The graveside service for Steven Ray Decker was Wednesday att he Pleasant Grove Cemetery, Cooks Mills with the Rev. Dr. Mark Prevoof ficiating. Personal remembrances were shared by Scott Priebe.Schilling F uneral Home was in charge of arrangements. Pallbearerswere Wes and Dav e Hunt, Scott Priebe, Mark Solomon, Randy Lee Deckerand Brad Francis. M r. Decker, 44, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., formerlyof Mattoon, died May 1 8, 2008, at his residence.
Published in the Journal Gazette & Times-Courier on 5/22/2008.
