Steve (Stefcho) Vulcheff, beloved husband of the Rev. Dr. Bonnie L. Bates, died Oct. 27, 2021.

Born Aug. 27, 1936, in Sofia, Bulgaria, he emigrated to the U.S. in 1939 with his parents to live in Cincinnati, Ohio.

He was the son of the late Evon and Nada (Gocheva) Vulcheff.

He faithfully and honorably served his country in the U.S. Air Force during a peacetime era serving as a medic and then an intelligence officer.

He had a varied career, beginning work at age 12 in his father’s chili parlor in Cincinnati.

Further work experience included drafting, manufacturing, quality control engineering, and property management.

He loved building his own computers, which he started doing in 1981, a hobby he gave up, reluctantly, in 2019 when his hands were unable to manage the small parts.

He loved old movies, playing poker (no wild cards please), and spending time with family.

He had a wonderful sense of humor, teasing friends and family right up to the day of his death.

He was a member of UCC Greenawalds.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son Samuel F. Vulcheff (Kim) of Louisburg, N.C.; grandchildren Kiel, Jakob, Emma and Ella, sister-in-law Beth Ashline; and several nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by a sister Christine Leberecht, and two infant sons, John Steven and Kiel Edward Vulcheff.

Expressions of sympathy may be made at heintzelmancares.com.

Memorial gifts may be made to the Penn Northeast Conference for the Conference Minister’s Discretionary Fund, which supports pastors in need, or to United Church of Christ, Greenawalds, both c/o the funeral home, P.O. Box 196, Schnecksville, PA 18078-0196.

Arrangements were made by Heintzelman Funeral Home Inc., Schnecksville.