Steve Balog (Stephen John Balog), 69 of Berkeley, Calif., passed from this world unexpectedly on March 16, 2025. Cause of death was complications from an undetectable form of liver cancer that spread rapidly through his body. Steve passed in hospice care and was surrounded during his final illness by his brother David of New York and dear friends Jayne Sorensen of Oregon and Kym Olsen of Arizona.
Steve had a myriad of passions which he pursued. He loved music, particularly jazz, old movies (and new), making friends, sports, cooking and so much more.
But as a gay man, the movies and the music Steve loved were not written for him. The romances were all heterosexual until recent. There were no role models for gay relationships, at least none that were readily discernable. Bullied as a youth, Steve too often found silence and isolation to be a safer choice than engagement. He would withdraw his ready smile and witty personality, "scanning the room," in LGBTQ parlance. Steve lent his support to help his community, delivering meals to AIDS patients and attending churches supportive of the gay community. He recently participated in a gay men's support group for senior gays in Berkeley.
Steve found a niche for himself as a respected accountant in the nonprofit world of the San Francisco Bay area. He took leadership positions at the Jewish Community Center and at the Contemporary Jewish Museum over the past 25 years. He helped every organization he worked for not only with his attention to detail and software skills but with his special interpersonal abilities.
Uniquely, Steve loved Basset Hounds and baseball, as long as the players and owners weren't too greedy.
Steve was born in Yonkers, NY on August 6, 1955 to Marion and Andrew Balog. He was a graduate of Fordham Preparatory School and Johns Hopkins University.
Steve was cremated and a memorial service is planned for this summer. His brother David is planning a service in upstate New York that will be streamed live. For more information, write to dbalog99@gmail.com.
Thank you.