Steven W. Shaler

Steven Wesley Shaler, 85, of St. Cloud, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on October 21, 2026, at Quiet Oaks Hospice in St. Cloud after a valiant eighteen-month battle with glioblastoma.

Steve was born on February 21, 1941, in Boone, Iowa, to Wesley and Signe Shaler. He grew up in Boone with his three sisters, whom he loved dearly.

In 1962, Steve enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, serving on active duty before joining the Air Force Reserves. In 1963, he moved to Minneapolis to work for Northwestern Federal Savings, where he met Wendelyn (Wendy) Gilman. She became his wife and, in his words, his best friend. They married on February 1, 1969, in Des Moines, Iowa.

Steve built a career in savings and loan and financial services. In 1975, he became president of First Federal Savings in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. In 1995, he joined AgStar Financial Services in St. Cloud, where he worked until retiring in 2008.

Steve was a lifelong runner who completed 13 marathons, including the Boston Marathon, the Twin Cities Marathon, and Grandma’s Marathon. After years of reading business books, he also came to enjoy novels. Steve was a dapper dresser who always wanted to look his best, enjoyed cherry marshmallow malts, and loved 1950s music. Throughout his life, he volunteered with several organizations, modeling a life of service to others. Steve was a gentleman known for his kindness, curiosity, and determination.

Every April, Steve could be found at the Drake Relays at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. He first attended in 1957 as a member of his high school track team and missed only a couple of years in the decades that followed. His group of high school friends, the Boone Boys, turned the annual gathering into a cherished tradition that eventually included second and third generations of their families.

Steve is survived by his wife of 57 years, Wendy Shaler; daughters Sara Shaler and her husband, Charles Russell, of Mendota Heights, and Stephanie Shaler of St. Cloud; granddaughter Mia Russell of NYC; sisters Sally (Sara) Harwood of Urbandale, Iowa; Mary (Signe) Day of Ames, Iowa; and Emily Osam and her husband, Marty, of Ames, Iowa; and his beloved cat, Mya, and his grandkitties: Pippi, Twister, Baby, and Swissy. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews and dear friends, including lifelong friends Chuck McGriff and Tim Croxen. He was preceded in death by his parents, Wesley and Signe Shaler; his stepfather, Leonard Reedholm; his brother-in-law, Paul Harwood; and his nephew, Michael Harwood.

Service details will be forthcoming. Memorials are preferred to Tri-County Humane Society and Quiet Oaks Hospice.

The family would like to thank the wonderful caregivers at Comfort Keepers and Quiet Oaks Hospice, and the medical staff at Coborn Cancer Center, as well as the CentraCare Hospice nurse team, for the care and support they provided to Steve.