Stephen (Dawg) Richard Dybas passed away peacefully April 18, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. He made his grand entrance into this world probably not-so-peacefully when he was born to Louis Dybas, Sr. and Betty (Sinatra) Dybas on January 16, 1955 in Amsterdam, NY. He certainly continued to make his presence known until he left this earth.
He was the second of three boys but did not suffer with the Middle Child Syndrome of feeling he was overlooked. Steve made sure he was never overlooked. Even as a child, his personality was strong. Photos from that time in his life and forward reflect his self-assured and outgoing nature. He could never be accused of being an introvert. And saying he’s an extrovert would be an understatement. He needed to have a large body as it could barely contain his larger-than-life persona.
When he was young, he played Little League Baseball, which his father coached. Steve was a kicker on his high school football team and was given the nickname of “Sugar Foot”.
After high school, he joined the Army and served 4 years. Although he was honorably discharged, it is doubtful that branch of the service has been the same since. Once out of the service, he had a number of different jobs. He drove truck for a time and had many, many stories to tell of his adventures. Another profession was being a commercial plumber. His advice for anyone in that job was, “Never bite your fingernails.”
He umpired minor league baseball and a variety of high school sports. That carried over to enjoying attending spring training and Arizona Diamondbacks baseball games. Also a fan of motorsport events, Steve enjoyed drag racing, NASCAR, and drag boat races. His special affinity was for sprint cars. He could often be found at the back stretch of the local dirt track, being pelted by flying mud and standing as close as he could to the fence. He was equally at ease when he went to the opera and drew stares.
Riding his Harley was a big part of his life (again, an understatement) even if doing so nearly killed him….multiple times. He got a kick out of seeing people’s reaction when he wore his “Skippy’s Asshole Club” t-shirt and would jokingly brag that he was the president. He was as colorful as his many and varied tattoos which included everything from skulls and military themes to flowers, Shrek, Yosemite Sam, and a shark wearing a red bow-tie. He said that his next ink was going to be that of Reba McIntire’s eyes tattooed on the back of his head. Steve also commanded amazing cooking skills and would cook for his church’s events. His go-to dishes were Italian, and he grew his own tomatoes and herbs.
He was member of the American Legion, Arizona Sprint Car Association, Arizona American Italian Club, and the Polish American Club in Amsterdam, NY.
Steve is survived by his father, Louis Dybas, Sr., and his brothers Louis Dybas Jr. and Martin (Tina) Dybas. His mother, Betty, preceded him in death October 31, 2007. Steve leaves behind his wife, Connie, along with his Aunt Mary Ann and Uncle Richard Dybas, many cousins, other family, and a wide variety of friends. Many of his friends will ask “who?” and be surprised to find out that he has a name other than “Dawg”. He has other names, too, but not all are fit for printing.
He will be remembered for his looming presence, booming voice, sense of humor, and his big heart that was behind all the bravado.
Visitation will be held at San Tan Mountain View Funeral Home, 21809 S. Ellsworth Road, Queen Creek, AZ 85142 on Friday, April 27th from 5 to 8p.m. Also at the funeral home on Saturday, April 28th there will be visitation at 2p.m. followed by a Celebration of Life service at 3p.m.
In lieu of flowers, if one wishes to make a donation in his name, please make it to the charity of your choice. Another suggestion would be to the Arizona Humane Society, as every good dog (and cat) deserves a chance, a home, and to love and be loved.