Steven Douglas Marcello, 81, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona. He was born on February 22, 1945, in Baldwin, Wisconsin.
Raised in St Paul, Minnesota, Steve was determined to be successful and began a local paper route at age 12 delivering the St Paul Pioneer Press. By the time he was in high school, he was working at a McDonald’s restaurant on Prosperity Avenue while still completing his early morning paper route. He graduated from St Paul Lutheran high school in 1963 where he lettered in football and was the class vice-president.
Upon graduating, Steve wasn’t certain what career direction to take. On advice from Dennis Hansen, co-owner of Hansen Metal Manufacturing on Burgess Street, he enrolled in St. Paul Technical Vocational Institute to become a sheet metal worker. After graduation, he began an apprenticeship with Hansen Metal.
After a number of years Hansen Metal merged with Kehne Electric and Marcello became part of their sheet metal division. Years later, he received his masters license and began his own business with his partner Alan Swanson in 1987. Excel Air Systems flourished and a good portion of the commercial heating and ventilating company business came from Bell Telephone/U.S. West.
Steve was a skilled water skier and scuba diver and enjoyed car shows with his 1957 Chevrolet. After retirement, he became passionate about horses and looked forward to their yearly trip to the 63 Ranch in Livingston, Montana. For several years, he and his long-time wife Rosemary were snowbirds and spent their winters in Tucson. Tiring of maintaining two households, they sold their home in Centerville, Minnesota and moved permanently to Tucson.
In addition to his parents, Steve was preceded in death by his wife, Rosemary. He is survived by his sister, Gayle (Rodney), half-brothers, Ned (Nik), Frank (Jeanne), Tony (Marilissa), children, Steven (Lisa), Rachel (Kurt) and Paul, nieces, Dawn (Tom) and Heather (Brian), grandchildren, Josh, Jessica and Brad, great grandchildren, Natalya and Jackson and many cousins.
