Stephen Daniel Houser died on July 8, 2023, at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis with his family by his side. The cause of death, confirmed by his wife, Arlene, was a heart attack caused by acute renal failure. Steve was 66.

The son of Ralph Houser and Frances (Morrey) Houser, Steve was born at Cape Cod Hospital on Oct. 10, 1956; he lived all his life in Truro, where as a boy he spent much of his free time with his best friend, Butch Lisenby, at Cobb Farm, where his father worked.

Steve attended Truro Central School and graduated from Provincetown High School in 1974. According to the Long Pointer, his class selected “Out in the Country” as the song that best represented Steve.

After graduation, Steve was a custodian at Truro Central School. He worked there for 10 years before moving on be a small-engine mechanic for Mooney Food and Grain. When Mooney closed, he worked briefly for Cape Cod Oil before serving as custodian for another 10 years at the Wellfleet Cinemas. His final job was in the wastewater treatment plant in Provincetown. He retired in 2022.

Among the kids who grew up in Steve’s Truro neighborhood was a girl named Arlene Santos.  After some years of friendship, they realized, Arlene said, that they were soulmates. She was 18 at the time and he was 20. They married in 1980.

Steve’s marriage brought him great happiness and two sons, Kyle in 1985 and Nicholas in 1990. “Steve loved doing everything with his kids,” Arlene said. “They played paintball in the yard, sledded in winter, and he took them fishing. Once they even walked through the woods across Truro from the bay to the ocean.”

One year he and Arlene went to Las Vegas to represent Wellfleet Cinemas at a convention, a trip she remembers fondly.

A down-to-earth man who cherished time with family and friends, Steve enjoyed going to North Conway, N.H. and to his camp in Maine, which he bought in 1986 soon after Kyle was born. At home in Truro, he enjoyed tending his garden.

“Steve was a simple man,” Arlene said, “very loving and giving.” He sponsored a family from Bulgaria, whom he met while working at the cinema, to relocate to the U.S. Just last week, Arlene added, “that family took the oath as American citizens.”

Steve is survived by his wife of 42 years, Arlene, of Truro; sons Kyle and wife Nikole of Wellfleet and Nicholas (Nick) of Truro. He also leaves nephews Daniel Santos of Chatham and Robert Santos Jr. and spouse Caroline; niece Diana and husband Andrew; great-nephews Lance, Blake, and Carson; and great-niece Finley, all of Maryland.
Services to honor Steve’s life will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations may go to the MSPCA at mspca.org or to any other charity that will help support causes that were important to Steve.