Wayne Stephen "Steve" Ketola

Wayne Stephen “Steve” Ketola, 83, of Idaho Falls, passed away on September 18, 2026, at MorningStar Assisted Living in Idaho Falls.

Steve was born June 24, 1943, in Ithaca, New York, and raised on an idyllic farm in a small Finnish-American community in Dryden, NY, near Ithaca. He loved trekking through the woods with his brother Bob to his cousins' house, and this band of boys found themselves in all kinds of little boy trouble, as often as not. But Steve was a smart kid, and in high school he joined science and math clubs, played basketball and football, and was class Vice President. In his free time, he studied birds, fished with his cousins, and showed interest in mechanics and engineering, rebuilding a non-running Chevy that became his first car.

While he contemplated studying ornithology in college, he instead chose to answer the call of the Nuclear Commission and studied Physics and Mechanical Engineering at Cornell University, later transferring to the University of Idaho. His undergraduate years were interrupted by the Vietnam War, however, and he was drafted into the U.S. Army and stationed in Hanau, Germany. His time in Germany turned out to be one of the highlights of his life. He learned to speak German fluently, became quite popular with the local fräuleins, and even completed a few university science classes taught in German.

When he returned to the U.S., he finished his undergrad studies and Master’s Degree from the University of Idaho, and began working for the U.S. Department of Energy. Steve worked all over the country, in Idaho, Washington, Colorado, New York, and Washington, D.C., while simultaneously balancing a family life and raising 6 children. He finished many marathons, backpacked and fished the northern Rockies, and travelled the world to Russia, France, and Germany as part of his work. He could identify nearly every constellation in the night sky.

Everywhere Steve lived and worked, he was known as a human encyclopedia. He was blessed with a photographic memory and an omnivorous mind, relentlessly collecting knowledge like gemstones to decorate his inner world and lived experience. Despite this, he always maintained a strong sense of humility from his immigrant farmer roots and was just as happy talking to an auto mechanic as a theoretical physicist. His heroes were Albert Einstein, Carl Sagan, and his father. He taught his children to be honest, ethical, and to always "leave a campsite better than you found it."

In his twilight years, he enjoyed travelling with his good friend Connie, tinkering at his workbench, studying the moons of Jupiter through his telescopes, and spending time with his children and grandchildren. His laugh was infectious, and his sense of humor remained intact until the end.

Above all, he would want to be remembered as a man with a generous heart who would do anything for his family, and as a man who never lost his sense of childlike awe and reverence for the wonder of life and the mysteries of the cosmos. He marveled equally at the construction of a bird's nest and the theory of quantum entanglement.

He will be missed beyond measure.

Steve is preceded in death by his father and mother, Wayne and Agatha Ketola; his beloved brother, Bob; and his youngest son, Ryan.

He is survived by his son, Randy Ketola; daughters, Megan Hatfield, Betsy Snell, Natalie Ketola, and Nadia Kovach; 16 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren; his sisters, Susan Shell, and Karen Irei; and his cousin, George Ketola.

A celebration of life is being planned for the summer of 2027. Please contact the family for details.