The world has lost a good person.

I have known Steve longer than I have been married.  We used to joke that he knew me before I was a hyphenate.  We met while working at Fingerhut in the early eighties.  At one point his job was to consolidate all the sales forecast from the marketing managers and prepare a final package for upper management.  Of course the marketing managers always missed the deadline Steve had set but he never got mad, he just put in the extra time to get his part done and on to management on time.

Years later, after we both had left Fingerhut, I was looking to hire an experienced marketer.  A mutual friend suggested I contact Steve, who was looking for a new opportunity.  I was delighted he was available and for about the next 10 years he was my right hand person at Asset Marketing.  He was an ideal employee who got his work done and often improved the process.  He was a great mentor to his staff.

I was always in awe of his dedication to his Scouting commitments.  I knew Monday nights he couldn’t work late because he had scouts.  Every summer the week of the Fourth of July he would take precious PTO time because the scouts went to camp in Wisconsin.  Then there were the years where there were special 2 or 3 week encampments that he would attend.  I never worried about him being away from the office that long because he always made sure his staff was prepared to cover for him.

After I retired, we would have lunch once or twice a year.  It was nice to get together but these were sometimes hurried because Steve needed to get back to work for something.  Then Steve retired and our annual get together turned into leisurely long luncheons.  I will miss those lunches.

Steve was more than a colleague, he was my friend.

I first met you in 2019. I was absolutely brand new, had no idea what I was doing and yet signed up to join you on fundraising. You took me under your wings. We attended so many meetings together and never once did you not have time for me or a smile. I then had the opportunity to serve at Wood Badge with you as our Quarter Master, and no matter how late we ended the day, you were always at the table working, before the sun came up with that same awesome smile. You inspired me to want to do more in scouting. I will always remember you and found this picture I thought I should post. Thank you for making my life brighter. My light and love to your incredible family.

Smudes,

I don't know how to explain the impact you had in my life. When I was new to Scouting, you welcomed me with open arms and a ton of guidance. I am so incredibly thankful for our years of friendship. I will never forget your infectious smile, it lit up a room. And your laugh... I can hear it. My life is better because of you. I will carry you with me forever. Thank you for being my friend. All my love to your incredible family.

Steve was always amazing to work with and he will be missed.

So sorry to hear about Steve’s passing, my condolences to the family.  I had the pleasure of working with Steve on and off for over 35 years.  Steve was my first manager at Fingerhut, and he taught me so much. I also worked with him at Asset Marketing & Stauer.  He was such a friendly, easy-going guy, and I have fond memories of talking with him each morning about the Twins ’87 World Series run.   He will be missed.

Steve was a friend and a mentor. He was my ASM Logistics when I was JASM for Woodbadge C1-250-14-2. His help and support at Roundtable meetings was extraordinary. I will miss my friend.

I am so sorry for the loss of Steve. He was an amazing human who loved Scouts. I will miss seeing him at OA events and Grey Wolf NYLT. He had a belief that Scouting mattered and it did. I met Steve through Scouts and he was one of my most trusted sources and people while I was a Scoutmaster for a local troop. His advice and knowledge helped so many people. His impact on the program is insurmountable. Week 5 Grey Wolf 2026 last song was in honor of Mr. Smuder and they sang “Happy Trails”. Knowing one day they will see their Scoutmaster once more. Thank you for all you did for Scouting,  will miss you Mr. Smuder. 

The Brazils.

My condolences to the Smuder family for the loss of Steve.

I worked with Steve for years at Fingerhut, Best Buy and finally at Asset Marketing Services (AMS) or otherwise known as Govmint.com

Steve was one of the best persons I ever worked with. He was easily one of the hardest working persons I worked with. He was sincere, consistently honest in every situation, had great ideas and truly lived the servant leadership model. 

On a personal level, Steve was my career mentor. Without him, I would have never moved forward in my career the way I did. He was instrumental in me getting my positions at Best Buy (where I worked for 10 years) and at AMS. We worked closely at Fingerhut for years, where he taught me all about budgeting and forecasting, critical elements in the positions I had.

I'll be forever grateful to him for all the help he gave me. And I will miss him tremendously.

Mark Revord

OBITUARY

Steven Scott Smuder

January 13, 1956 – July 10, 2026

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