Steven Michael Gottschalk

Steven Michael Gottschalk, longtime resident of Wilton, CT passed away after a long illness on Tuesday, January 31, 2023. He was 66 years old.

Steve was born in White Plains, New York. He graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1979. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and had fond memories of his SAE brothers. After graduation, Steve moved to Ohio to work for Goodyear. He relocated to Connecticut to work for Perkin Elmer, moving first to Danbury and then to Wilton where he lived for about 40 years. Steve went on to launch his computer consulting business, Software Enhancement Tecknology.

From a very young age, Steve loved all things car-related, from building model cars to developing a love for NASCAR racing. He was a huge fan of Richard Petty and his first car was a Plymouth Satellite Sebring specially painted in "Petty blue"! He had a great time working on the pit crew for Lennie Pond. He spent some years as an amateur racer, driving his Dodge Colt, number 09, calling on friends and family to serve as his pit crew.

Steve's Lyme disease diagnosis sidelined his amateur racing ambitions, but fortunately the advent of online racing became a great outlet for him to hone his racing skills, often against professional race car drivers. He derived great joy not only from racing but also from the wonderful friends he made among the Sim online racing community. #91 was a force to be reckoned with!

Steve was a fierce Lyme disease advocate who fought to have insurance companies and the medical community recognize and accept chronic Lyme Disease as a diagnosis.

Steve was a gentle, loving person who never forgot a birthday or anniversary. He had a wide circle of caring and devoted friends. He was deeply devoted to the cats he raised in his life - Hobbes, Dudley and Button. He's survived by his loving siblings - Ann (Reed) Joiner, Marc (Lihbin) Gottschalk, and Lynn (Adam) Drucker as well as his niece and nephews, two grand-nephews, aunts, uncle and cousins. A celebration of life will be hosted in late Spring 2023.