Minnich, Steven Allen
Steve (Steven) Allen Minnich (August 24, 1951 to September 3, 2025) was born in Huntington, West Virginia but grew up in Roanoke, Virginia as the youngest of three children.
After studying Outdoor Recreation and Forestry at Virginia Tech, he married and moved to Floyd, Virginia in 1976. He was a certified farrier, shoeing horses while he attended college and until he began working part-time for the Floyd US Soil and Water Conservation Service. This work helped farmers by shaping their fields to conserve soil and by building farm ponds in Floyd; he later worked full time in Durham, NC’s Soil and Water Conservation Service for several years.
He took on being caretaker for an estate where he lived for 25 years with his family. He was a man outstanding in his field and spent a lot of time mowing grass. He was a part-time Floyd resident from the mid-1980s until the mid 2010s, he returned to Floyd full-time in his retirement. He was passionate about the southern Appalachian forests and worked to replace invasive plants with native ones in his small part of Appalachia in Floyd County.
An Eagle Scout, he was a life-long Scout Leader and original staff member of Camp Powhatan’s High Knoll Trail program, where he recently joined in a celebration of their 50th Anniversary this summer. He was skilled in many things from operating heavy equipment, carpentry, and cars: teaching his boys to fix, repair, and build anything and to become self-reliant. He never read a book twice and quite possibly read most of the books in the Floyd Public Library.
He is survived by his siblings, Sally and Sherwood; his ex-wife, Georgia; his sons, Chris (Laura) and Jack (Bailey); his three grandchildren, Kathryn, Owen, and Evelyn; and multiple nieces and nephews.
He enjoyed family gatherings in Floyd, especially the one held this last summer with both his sons, their wives, all his grandchildren, and extended family. He will always be remembered by his family and friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Camp Powhatan’s High Knoll Trail program through BSA or The American Chestnut Foundation.
A Celebration of Life will take place this upcoming spring at the Farm and will be announced by the family.
