Stephen Roswell Bancroft 98, went to be with the Lord on May 1, 2024
Stephen was born April 7, 1926 to Chester and Eva Bancroft in Emmett, Idaho. The family moved to Boise, Idaho in 1928 when Steve was, as he put it, “the ripe old age of 2”. The family owned and operated a grocery store named Bancroft’s Evening Store at the corner of 16 th & Main. The family, including all 3 children, Keith, Carol & Steve lived in the back of the store, which was one big room with a large round table in the center, a majestic coal range in one corner. There were only 2 bedrooms so Mom & Dad and his sister Carol slept in them while Steve & his Brother Keith slept in a shed that was the same temperature as outside, but less windy. In 1936 Chester & Eva built a house on Mountain View Dr. Keith, Carol & Steve would drive out to the house to sleep about 10pm, then back to the store in the morning as they all worked in the store when not in school. In 1942 the store was sold and the whole family then lived in the house on Mountain View Dr.
Steve graduated from Boise High school on May 29,1944, and joined the Navy on June 3,1944 as an Aviation Ordnanceman 3 rd Class. He was transported to Farragut Naval Training Center for Boot training, then transferred to Norman Oklahoma for 21 weeks of Aviation Ordnance School. He graduated in the top 10% of his class and received a promotion to Seaman First Class. He then transferred to Key West Florida, a flying boat air station. He married Virginia Ruth Boal while on leave in June of 1945, and they raised two children, Lynne (1947) and Mark (1951). They were divorced in 1968.
At the end of WWII, his unit was no longer needed and he was discharged on April 6 th 1946, the day before his 20 th birthday. Steve loved his country and was perhaps the most patriotic person ever to have lived. He had tears flowing any time the National Anthem was played or the pledge of Allegiance was spoken.
He started college in the Fall of 1946 at Boise Junior College (now Boise State) and worked summers for the Forest Service as a Fire guard at the Gold Fork Lookout and Crawford Ranger Station which was about 2 miles from Cascade Lake.
After graduating from BJC, he matriculated to the University of Oregon in the Fall of 1948, and graduated in 1950. He went to work for Marshall & Gill Public Accountants, from the summer of 1950 to 1953. After a short job with Fearless Farris, moved to Denver and worked for Baldwin & Baldwin Public Accountants until he moved with the family to Twin Falls Idaho about 1957 where he purchased an accounting practice. He was a sole practitioner for two tax seasons, then was asked to become a partner in the firm of Peterson Seamons, and the firm became Peterson, Seamons, Stacey & Bancroft in January of 1960.
He met Elizabeth Boulan in December of 1968 and they were married in April 1969. Steve retired in 1984, and he & Beth spent many years doing what they loved, traveling across the US and Canada in a motorhome. They were married for 42 yrs when Beth passed in 2011.
Steve was a member of Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, and was an Elder in the Church he loved so much. He received a Thinking of You note on the anniversary of Beth’s passing from Sharon Fuller who is also a member of his church and that started a friendship. They were married in August of 2012.
Steve was active in the West Y and had many friends there. He was there every Mon, Wed & Friday at 6:00 am. He was there working out with his “Y family” on the day he passed. He will be missed by so many.
He is preceded in death by his Brother Keith Bancroft, his Sister Carol Bower, his great granddaughter Vivien Prinz, step Daughter Penny Paz and his step son Bill Brown.
He is survived by his wife, Sharon Fuller Bancroft, two children and their spouses: Lynne and Carl Maestas, Mark and Beverly Bancroft. Two grandchildren Cynthia Maestas, Geoffrey Maestas, and two great grandchildren, Evelyn Prinz, and Ray Leigh Maestas. Francine Cervantez & Bruce Boulan, both children of Beth and several great grandchildren who he treated and loved as his own.
A Veterans honor guard will present at the Celebration of Life which will be held at the Southminster Presbyterian Church on June 6, 2024 at 1:00 in the afternoon.