Steven Allen Vargas

Steven Allen Vargas, 59, of San Jose, passed Thursday, from a devastating cancer, extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma. He was born in San Jose to the late Philip and Lena Vargas. Steve went to Andrew Hill High School in San Jose and at¬tended San Jose State. Steve was talented in the arts. He had an amazing gift as a freehand artist, and percus¬sionist in various bands in the Bay Area throughout his life, from Elliot Foxx in the 1970s to OpenRoad in 2004-2006. He was versatile as the band drummer playing any music style e.g., Rock, R&B to Country, to even add¬ing exciting rhythms with congas, timbales, etc. as a Latin Percussionist. Steve had a life-long passion for art, music and dancing. He was always friendly, out-going and when meeting people, would make them feel that he was their new best friend. Diabetes and di¬alysis treatments impacted Steve’s mobility over the last ten years. He is survived by his sisters Mary and Phyllis, the Negrete nieces, nephews, great-nephews, his brother Ed’s family and his fiancée, Tracy Byrnes. Steve lived his entire life in the Santa Clara Valley. Friends and family are invited to The Lima Family Santa Clara Mortuary, 466 N. Winchester on Wednesday, Aug. 29, from 6-9 pm with a Rosary Vigil at 7 pm. Funeral Mass is Thursday, Aug. 30, 11 am at St. Clare’s Parish, 941 Lexington St., Santa Clara. Interment will follow in the Santa Clara Mission Cemetery. In lieu of flow¬ers or gifts, please send contributions to The Steven A. Vargas Rose Fund at The National Foundation for Cancer Research, 4600 East West Highway, Suite 525, Bethesda, MD 20814. Please write NFCR on the pay to the order line, The Steven A. Vargas Rose Fund on the memo line of your check or contribute online at www.nfcr.org/stevenvargas.