Captain Stephen Robert Grace

Capt Stephen Robert Grace was born on April 14, 1988 to Robert and Christina (Daniele) Grace in St. Louis, Missouri at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center. Stephen resided in Kirkwood, MO from 1988-1996, attending Tillman Elementary School and actively participating in various community activities. He relocated with his family to Cincinnati, Ohio in 1996 when he began attending St. Mary School. Stephen attended St. Xavier High School and always exuded the ‘men for others’ motto. He began focusing on competitive swimming while in high school and represented St. Xavier at the Ohio OHSAA High School District and State Championship. It was during his high school years that Stephen met his future wife, Kelsey (Vehr) Grace. The two were married on November 10, 2012, and on April 5, 2018 were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Georgia Eileen Grace. Stephen received his commission in 2010 from the United States Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering while also competing for USAFA as a Division I Athlete from 2006-2008. Following his graduation, he was assigned to Columbus AFB, Mississippi for Undergraduate Pilot Training where he was awarded the Distinguished Graduate Award. From there, he was assigned to Luke AFB, Arizona and the 308 Fighter Squadron for the F-16 Basic Qualification Course where he was awarded the Distinguished Graduate Award and named as the class Top Gun. Following his initial qualification training, Capt Grace was assigned to the 79th Fighter Squadron at Shaw AFB, South Carolina where he became a Wild Weasel specializing in suppression of enemy air defense. He was recognized as the 20th Fighter Wing’s Wingman of the Quarter. He deployed to the Middle East in support of regional stability operations in 2014. He was named as the 79th Fighter Squadron’s Wingman and Company Grade Officer of the Year. He then moved to the 80th Fighter Squadron at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea where he upgraded to Instructor Pilot and was tasked to support the armistice agreement with North Korea. While there he was recognized as the Squadron Instructor Pilot of the year and was selected to transition to the F-35A. He attended Squadron Officer School in 2017 where he distinguished himself as the Outstanding Flight Contributor by his peers. Assigned to the 61st Fighter Squadron at Luke AFB, Arizona he completed his F-35A Instructor upgrade and was twice recognized as the Company Grade Officer Instructor pilot of the quarter and Company Grade Officer of the Year in 2018. In October 2018 he was selected to attend the premier F-35A Weapons Instructor Course at Nellis AFB, Nevada. Family, friends, love, and prayer surrounded Stephen at the time of his passing on December 4, 2018. Stephen is survived by his wife, Kelsey (Vehr) Grace, his daughter, Georgia Grace, his parents, Robert and Christina (Daniele) Grace, sisters, Shannon (Scott) Usher and Kathleen (Blake) Annen and grandmother, Betty (Kemple) Daniele. He is preceded in death by Grandfathers James Grace and Carmine “Anthony” Daniele, and Grandmother Catherine (Geers) Grace. Visitation has been planned for Saturday, December 15, 2018 from 9:00-11:00 a.m. with a funeral mass beginning at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary Parish, 2853 Erie Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45208. A memorial celebration with military honors will be immediately following at Waypoint Aviation, 4765 Airport Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to gofundme.com (Stephen "Trip" Grace Education Fund) to help support future education cost for Stephen's daughter, Georgia or to Wounded Warrior Project at www.woundedwarriorproject.org.

Arrangements entrusted to Alexandria Funeral Home.

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