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Obituary
Stephen “Steve” Joseph Soltis,
94, of Huntington, passed away Sunday December 23, 2012 at St. Mary’s
Medical Center, Huntington. He was born July 10, 1918 in the coal camp of
Wanlock, Iowa, the son of the late George and Mary Drobenak Soltis. He was
also preceded in death by his brother George Soltis, Jr. who was killed in
1945 during WWII. Steve studied business at Iowa State University in Ames,
IA and completed his degree at Graceland College in Lamoni, IA. He was
drafted in December 1941 and served in the United States Army Medical
Administration Corp, where he entered as a private and was discharged a
major. He was a hospitalization officer under MacArthur in the Philippines
and New Guinea. Stationed in San Francisco, CA, Steve met Eugenia “Jean”
Mary Casini who was in the United States Army Nurse Corps. They married in
1947 and were husband and wife for 65 years. After he was discharged from
the Army, he worked in hospital administration at Memorial Sloan Kettering
Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases in New York City. He worked for the
United Mine Workers in Washington, D. C., where he spent two years planning
for the construction of eleven UMW hospitals in West Virginia, Kentucky and
Virginia (now known as Appalachian Regional Healthcare). He served as
administrator at Beckley Memorial Hospital in Beckley, WV from 1955-1964.
Steve was approached by the Pallottine Sisters in 1964 to be the first lay
administrator of St. Mary’s Hospital in Huntington, WV, where he served for
28 years. He was the Executive Director of all Pallottine Hospitals in WV,
including St. Vincent Palloti in Morgantown, St. Joseph in Buckhannon,
Sacred Heart in Richwood and St. Mary’s in Huntington. He is an honoree on
the St. Mary’s Wall of Fame. He was the former President of West Virginia
Hospital Association and Fellow of the American College of Hospital
Executives. Survivors include his wife Eugenia, sons George Michael Soltis
(Peggy) of South Charleston, WV and Thomas John Soltis, MD, (Susan) of
Simsbury, Connecticut; grandchildren Lucia Irene Soltis, MD of Huntington,
Juliana Marie Soltis of Oberlin, Ohio, Stephen Frederick Soltis of South
Charleston, Jennifer Ann Soltis of Minneapolis, Minn and Heather Marie
Soltis of Simsbury, Conn. Steve is also survived by long-time family friend
and former administrative assistant Aileen “Pat” Bertoia of Proctorville,
Ohio who accompanied him throughout his career from Washington, D.C. to
Beckley to Huntington. Funeral liturgy will be conducted at 10:30 am
Thursday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Huntington by Father Dean Borgmeyer.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 pm Wednesday at the Reger Funeral Home,
Huntington, a rosary will be recited at 7 pm Wednesday at the funeral home.
The family will also receive friends from 9:30 am until service time
Thursday in the St. Joseph Catholic Church Connection. In lieu of flowers
contributions may be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church, Huntington.
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