Steve Maravetz
August 31, 1952 ~ December 5, 2025
Steve Maravetz, 73, painter of clouds, political cynic, adoring husband, doting bepa, gardener extraordinaire, wordsmith, Mystical Holy Man at Church of the PO Box 2000, and nonstop learner, died suddenly yet peacefully at home December 5, 2025, of apparent cardiac arrest, doing something he loved: gaming on his one-day-old computer.
Steven John Maravetz was born August 31, 1952, in Waterloo, Iowa, the oldest of Marvin and Margery Maravetz’s five children. Steve graduated in 1970 from Waterloo Columbus High School as president of his senior class. He earned a bachelor’s degree in TV and radio from the University of Northern Iowa and a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Iowa.
His career in communications included several detours, including a day as a line worker at a packing plant pulling off pig toenails (which he later wrote about); a stint teaching communications and theater arts at UNI; music director at KUNI radio; and driving a semi for a transportation company he later joined as a public relations specialist. After 26 years in a variety of positions at the University of Iowa, he retired as a marketing and communications executive in 2017. In 2009 during a budget crunch, Steve voluntarily took a 20% pay cut. “Maybe I’m a schmuck,” he said in a newspaper article. “If I am, I’m good with that. This is something I felt I wanted to do.”
Steve’s life took a decided turn for the better when he met his wife, Dixie Collins, on a blind date and proposed three weeks later. They were married July 1, 1995, and honeymooned at Lake of the Ozarks where they bought their own lake home, a special space shared with family and friends. Their marriage brought him the joy of becoming a parent and grandfather as well as brother to Patty Ankrum, Dixie’s sister-from-another-mother, who died in February 2025.
Steve was renowned as a gourmet cook, willing to make everything from Turkish kunefe and Czech kolaches to his famous sweet-and-sour pork. He donned a personalized chef’s coat when he whipped up themed dinners for Dixie’s friends at her annual non-birthday parties.
Sporting his signature beard, a single pierced earring, a calf tattoo of R. Crumb’s Keep on Truckin’ cartoon, and clad in a multicolored dashiki, Steve was most relaxed when traveling with Dixie to Treasure Beach, Jamaica, where they spent one week six years in a row making lifelong friends. Their other travels included England, Wales, Mexico, and Scotland, and they dreamed of making a visit to his ancestral homeland, Czech Republic.
Steve’s creativity seemed boundless. At the first Mount Vernon home he shared with Dixie, Steve planted 145 varieties of roses encircled by a white picket fence. In retirement he began painting with acrylics, which he enjoyed so much that he gave up golf. He served as president of the Mount Vernon Area Arts Council from 2013-2021, helping to create a vibrant arts community that earned a designation as an Iowa Cultural & Entertainment District.
Steve’s circle of friends was enormous, and he loved his family: wife, Dixie Collins; daughter, Heather (Namaste) Reid; son, Aaron Collins; three grandchildren, Owen Hamm, Devon Hamm, and Violet Reid; siblings, David (Kathy) Maravetz, Mary Jo Maravetz, Laurie Maravetz, and William (Dianne) Maravetz; brother- and sister-in-law, Scott and Jane Thomas; and many nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be held at noon on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at The General Store, 12612 Stone City Road, Anamosa. Iowa. A catered lunch will be served. Cremation arrangements were handled by Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services.
Memorial gifts may be directed to Patty Ankrum’s Prairie Legacy at www.inhf.org/patty-ankrum or Mount Vernon Area Arts Council at www.mvaac.org/make-a-donation.
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But what I think of most when I think of Steve is Dixie. He adored her and was adored by her and they made a wonderful pair who participated in life fully.
My heart goes out to her and the loss of her great love.
Steve will be greatly missed by us too. ❤️
Miles who wanted to court Priscilla Mullins. Things didn’t progress as Miles wished and John ended up marrying Priscilla, instead. So fitting that Steve reigned from this man of words, as Steve was a wordsmith, himself. I really appreciated Steve’s way with words and the wisdom and humor which accompanied them. I mostly appreciated his love for Dixie and how they grew a great big beautiful family together. Not many couples do that as well. I will miss watching this beautiful dance between these two. My deepest condolences to Dixie, their children, grandchildren, family and close friends. This loss cuts deep.
You’ve blessed each one of us.
I met Steve in high school and we had many mutual friends. Years later we met for an occasional lunch in Iowa City and joined a couple of other classmates a few times for golf in Waterloo and the Amanas. I always enjoyed his wit and view of life. Condolences to all his family.
Xeno
Steve was a high school classmate and basketball teammate on “The Junk” (Berry’s Rejects) along with other friends in the Waterloo Elks League during high school. …… only trophy I ever won….Great fun once a week winter of ‘69-‘70. Steve’s writing skills were evident even then, as he posted the recap of each game on a bulletin board outside of the school cafeteria. … much to the chagrin of the administrators. Unafraid to speak his mind or write it down. Maybe a bit of an anarchist at 17-18. His wit enriched us all. R.I.P., Steve.
I enjoyed working for/with Steve for many years in the University of Iowa Office of Health Science Relations (which became UI Health Care Marketing and Communications). Steve was definitely a hands-off kind of boss, but he also knew when to encourage, counsel, and support me in my work. He liked sharing stories and lessons from his life and career, and I think back now to the many Steve-isms he’d share during our weekly all-staff meetings or during our one-on-one check-ins. One I remember (and he repeated on occasion) was: “Trust me, you don’t want to know how laws and sausages are made,” and I believed him. He liked to say, “Groovy, mon!” when he agreed with an idea or suggestion. He’d predict an outcome by starting with, “Steve Nostradamus says…” He shared stories of his days at KUNI in Cedar Falls — “I was the first DJ in Iowa to play Elvis Costello on the air,” he told me once — and was adamant (at least for a while) that the Rolling Stones were the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band ever.
Steve was more than a boss and colleague — he was a mentor, even though I didn’t really recognize this at the time. And he was a friend. When my mother died in 2005, Steve and Dixie came to the funeral; I don’t think I ever told him how much that meant to me.
My condolences go out to his family and friends…
Dixie and family: news of Steve’s exit was a sad shock. Through all
my years publishing the Wapsi Almanac Steve’s brilliant essays
offered the kind of humor to help us through trying times. I loved that we always shared, upon
encountering each other, our worst jokes. Such a fine fellow. Such a loss.
Favorite high school memory of Steve. Hitching his pants up, showing off his white socks while filing into assemblies at Columbus High.