In Loving Memory

Steve was born on December 20, 1949 in Birmingham, Alabama. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from UAB in Philosophy and English and a Masters of Divinity from the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1991. 

Fr Steve  served for a year in a pastoral role at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham before answering the call to become Rector at Trinity Episcopal Church in Wetumpka, Alabama. After nine years there he left to become Rector of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Madison, AL where he served for another 16 years. He retired from full-time ministry in 2016 and continued to serve as a supply priest for several years after retirement.

Before retirement Steve took a sabbatical to O'ahu and lived among the homeless for several months. During this time, he started writing a book/memoir about finding home, later published as Good Enough, A Priest's Tale.

Steve was a big guy with a big booming voice and a bigger than life personality. Most Sundays, you could hear him singing well above the choir. He was a wonderful storyteller with a long repertoire of stories and jokes. Steve had a true gift for making people feel welcomed and included. This proved especially true through his ministry. Father Steve would stand on the front porch of the church welcoming everyone in with a hug. He loved them and they knew it, partly because he always remembered their names and the names of their children. He had the ability to help people accept their imperfections and was often quoted as saying, "Life is messy."

Steve loved big, and he loved with his whole heart. He left a big impact in the world, and he will be missed deeply. He has a huge place in so many hearts.

Services were held at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Madison, Alabama on Friday, May 10th at 11 AM. The service will be available on YouTube . There was a Steve Gruman-sized party to follow on church grounds in celebration of a life well lived. .