Steven Dutczak

Steven Dutczak of Merritt Island, Florida passed away unexpectedly on June 21,2026. Steve was born July 20, 1946, in a labor camp in Germany. In 1951, he and his parents emigrated to the US via Ellis Island and settled in Denver, Colorado.

He graduated from Regis College, where he met Joni, his beloved wife of 51 years. The couple spent their first two years of marriage teaching at Saint Stephen’s Mission in Riverton, Wyoming. 

Steve and Joni were blessed with two daughters, Stefanie and Maggi. In 1974, the young family moved to Florida, where Steve went to work for NASA. He translated his love of teaching into becoming a NASA “space-mobiler”, traveling to schools across the southeast to teach young people about space and rocketry. He also completed a PhD in high energy physics.

Steve’s passion for teaching expanded to developing programs for educators to use in their classrooms. He was appointed the director of education at Kennedy Space Center where he developed the Educators Resource Center and teacher workshops. He also created the Exploration Station, a hands-on resource for students to actively learn about space. He was proud to be involved in the Apollo, Apollo-Soyuz, and Space Shuttle programs. After 35 years at NASA, Steve enjoyed his retirement but continued to work as a docent during recent launches.

Steve was a very kind man who loved working with his hands, including the meticulous repair of antique clocks. He enjoyed and was a member of the local Brevard County Zoo. He recently became active with the local North Brevard Widows/Widowers Group, enjoying meals and activities with the many friends he made there.

Steve was a devoted husband to Joni (Hefferin), a librarian. He loved and cared for her during a prolonged illness before her death in 2020. Steve was also preceded in death by his parents, Stefania and Dmytro. He is survived by his daughters, Maggi and Stefanie (Steve); beloved granddaughters, Allison and Sydney; brother Jerry; and his loving companion Ann Bard.

While Steve embraced his Ukrainian heritage, he was proud to be a naturalized citizen and grateful for the opportunities America gave him. He enjoyed the accomplishments of his family. Stefanie is a general surgeon in Colorado, and Maggi is an engineer continuing the family tradition of working at NASA.

A funeral mass will be held at the Church of Our Savior (5301 N Atlantic Avenue, Cocoa Beach, FL 32931) on July 17th at 1pm followed by a burial in the adjacent St Francis Memorial Garden and a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to the Brevard Zoo in his memory using the following link:

https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/donor-form?svcid=renxt&formId=ccc2bd36-5cc6-4658-9d48-0a4b5ee4a828&envid=p-wcUoQFHAsk-esMgu5XTCdw&zone=usa