Charles Steinmetz

Bing Steinmetz passed away on Friday, March 8, 2013 at the age of 30 in Springfield, Missouri. He went peacefully at home, in the company of his mom and dad. Bing’s full name was Charles Benno Steinmetz. He had muscular dystrophy, and he put up with the hardships of that disability with a strength and determination that few people in this world will ever know. Bing was a happy person who had a good life and would tell you so. Bing is survived by his father, mother and sister, who would never have picked another son or brother, who will miss him, achingly. He graduated from the University of Advancing Technology in Tempe, Arizona with a degree in software engineering and a 4.0 GPA. Bing treasured his friendships, and he attracted all manner of friends, religious and outcast, tattooed and scholarly, mischievous and compassionate. He showed others a constant kindness, even when he didn’t always get that in return. We will remember his wit, the way he would come up with a cheeky pun that no one caught until they saw his big, beautiful grin. He loved dolphins and other animals, especially his golden retrievers, who followed him nearly everywhere he went. He loved movies with big explosions and car chases. He studied biblical Greek on his own so he could better understand his Christian religion. He would sit in our driveway and just take in the fall colors, every year, on a street he had seen a million times. He was never sorry for himself. He loved music and traveling, whether it was to Utah canyons or the Parthenon or to see family in the Missouri Bootheel. He will be remembered for the pickiness and organization he inherited from his grandfather, as seen in his complete commitment to not letting different foods touch on his plate. Bing built his own computers and elaborate Lego machines, like the train that looped around our Christmas tree every year. He was a whiz with electronics. He was thoughtful and endearingly, irresistibly easy to embarrass. He was so smart and pure and incorruptible. The list of what we admired and will miss could never be long enough. We will remember his bravery and his enduring optimism. We will remember Bing for all the unlikely, infectious, nearly constant joy he took in life.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Muscular Dystrophy Association or plant a tree.