Obituary of Robert Albert Steane

Surrounded by loving arms, our star, Robert (Bob) Steane left this life on July 30, 2019 after 69 years of leadership in industry and in life.

Bob was a cherished friend and partner to Kathy Berg and a fun-loving brother to Alan, Brian (wife Chriss) and younger brother David who sadly predeceased him in 2014.  He was a sweet uncle to his nieces and nephews Tracy, Trevor, Bradley, Darryl, Michelle and Richard, and a beloved part of the lives of Kathy’s children, Timothy, Erin, and Erica, and Kathy’s mother, Beth Rude.

There wasn’t much that Bob couldn’t do and it was his determination and curiosity that allowed him to develop an impressive array of talents.  Son to Harold and Isobel Steane, Bob was born in Mpanda,  Tanzania into a mining family.  The Steane family emigrated to Canada in 1953, initially living in a small mining community near Salmo BC and then moving to Vancouver.   Bob went to school and was raised in a family neighbourhood first in Salmo and then in Vancouver.   He attended BCIT and then completed a Bachelor of Science in Metallurgical Engineering with High Scholastic Honours at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado.

Bob loved every minute of his mining career.   He worked in Papua New Guinea, Namibia, and Australia before being enticed to a start-up operation at the Key Lake minesite in Northern Saskatchewan in 1983.  This was the beginning of a life- long career of 34 years with Cameco. For eight years (1999-2007) Bob led Cameco’s Fuel Services operations in Ontario and became a fixture in the community of Port Hope.  Bob moved back to Saskatoon completing his Cameco career as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, retiring in 2017. Bob served on the Mining Association of Canada’s Board of Directors from 2012 to 2017, which included his time as Committee Chair of the Aboriginal Affairs Committee (2013-2015) and as MAC’s Board Chair (2015-2017).

Saskatoon and Saskatchewan became Bob’s final home.  In the last few years Bob created a philanthropic legacy.  He served on the board of the Royal University Hospital Foundation (RUHF) and generously donated to RUHF, St. Paul’s Hospital, Saskatoon Community Foundation, Persephone Theatre, Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan, and other organizations too numerous to mention.  Bob also devoted his time by volunteering at the Lighthouse and participating in United Way Fundraisers (including twice climbing the CN Tower in Toronto when he lived in Port Hope).  Earlier this year Bob and Kathy and other family members served breakfast at the Friendship Inn as part of his sponsorship for a day.

Anyone wishing to attend a celebration of Bob’s life is welcome in the lobby of Persephone Theatre on October 25 at 5:30 pm, program begining at 6:00pm followed by a reception, hosted by family and colleagues.  In the meantime, Bob would appreciate being remembered by his friends as they have a round of golf, a toast of scotch, or enjoy live theatre.

In lieu of flowers please send a donation to one of the identified charities or to a charity of your choice.