With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Steve Darling, a beloved husband, father, brother, and friend. Steve passed away peacefully after a ten-year battle with Primary Progressive Aphasia, which he handled with a courageously vibrant spirit that truly amazed and blessed us all.
Steve was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona to Bert and Mary Darling. He was a natural athlete playing football, basketball, and baseball throughout his years at Salpointe High School. Steve went on to play baseball his freshman year of college at United States International University in his favorite city, San Diego. He later graduated with a BA in Business from The University of Arizona.
Steve’s dad was a homebuilder and after graduation Steve moved to Dallas and began working for Fox and Jacobs in a variety of positions from builder to warranty specialist. He was involved in the first downtown neighborhood, Bryan Place, which was an anomaly back then. Steve met his future wife, Beth, in 1977 and they married in 1984. He then started his own homebuilding company, Darling Homes, building ten to fifteen custom homes a year in the DeSoto/Duncanville area. In 1987, he and his two brothers, Bob (who was a homebuilder in Tucson) and Bill (who was in commercial Real Estate in Dallas), founded a homebuilding company which took on the Darling Homes name. They became a premier “master planned community” home builder, starting out in Stonebridge Ranch in McKinney and eventually expanding into the Houston market. After a successful twenty-five-year run, they sold the company to Taylor-Morrison in 2012.
Steve brought joy to countless lives with his love for helping others. From something as simple as running over to our favorite Mexican restaurant on a Sunday to buy all of his brick layers beers, to being instrumental in building ten homes with Habitat for Humanity. He also was involved with The Samaritan Inn, overseeing the construction of the Gateway Apartments where families moved once they got on their feet.
Steve was FUN!! He loved to go to sporting events, concerts, play golf, and travel. His favorite spots were anywhere in Mexico, and his beloved San Diego, but he also traveled with Beth on work trips all over the world. Of course, he always fit in a Las Vegas trip or two every year! I wouldn’t say he was the best dancer, but he had this signature move that everybody replicated. He used to walk around the house and all of a sudden blurt out, “I’m the operator to the party LINE!” and he was!
After trying so many years to have children, Steve and Beth were blessed with twins Mike and Drew who both grew up loving and playing the sports he loved. Being a dad brought him so much joy!
We will remember him for his unwavering love and fun-loving spirit. He brought laughter to countless lives with his funny, random “Steve-isms” and was called many different names (by himself and others), The Doctor, The OG, LA, Miles Blairsdon (his alias from the show “It Takes a Thief”) and Mr. Butt to name a few. One of his favorite “isms” was, “I’ll handle the humor”. We will miss that!
Steve is survived by his wife, Beth; son, Mike; daughter and son-in-law, Drew and Tyler Neporadny; brother and sister-in-law, Bill and Pris Darling; brother and sister-in-law, Bob and Joy Darling; sister and brother-in-law, Nancy and Dick Walbert; and many loving nieces and nephews.
In honoring Steve's memory, love everyone like it’s the last day that you will see them. Even though we knew this was coming, the finality is so sad. We just can’t say enough about how Steve handled this horrible disease all of these years and still managed to be fun to be around!
A celebration of Steve’s life will be at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, May 2, 2024, First United Methodist Church of McKinney, 315 N. Church St. McKinney, Texas 75069. After the service, all are welcome to gather at Tupps Brewery 402 E. Louisiana St. McKinney 75069 to toast Steve’s life, tell some stories and raise a glass in his honor. (Brighter colors are encouraged)
In Steve’s honor, donations may be made to AFTD.org.