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Stephen Joseph Nagle, age 77, graduated Summa Cum Laude from his mortal experience on the evening of Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026. Steve, born in Brooklyn, NY September 29, 1948, grew up in Bound Brook, NJ, the oldest of three boys, son of Stephen John Nagle and Loretta Frances Colahan Nagle. He married the love of his life, Sara Sanders, August 9, 1987. Steve was a man larger than life, and all of us who love him wanted so much more time because the time we had was so awesome. Many know Steve from his career as a Professor of Linguistics, but many don't know his path began at St. Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark, NJ, a school that remained very important to him. Steve came to South Carolina to attend the University of South Carolina and never left. When Steve was completing his doctoral studies at USC, he met Sara, also a linguist, who became his colleague in the English department at Coastal after their marriage. They collaborated in research publications and presentations, but their friends all agreed that their son Brendan was their best collaboration of all. Being Brendan's dad was the greatest joy of Steve's life with a very close second being Granddaddy to Truman and Shay. A husband, father, granddaddy, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, linguist, traveler, musician, athlete, polyglot, Gamecock fan, and bon vivant extraordinaire, Steve lived an adventurous, epic life. In German the word that describes Steve is Lebenskunstler, Life Artist. Steve enjoyed time with a wide-ranging Beloved Constituency here and abroad. Everyone who had a meaningful relationship with Steve has Steve stories to tell. Friendship with Steve was value added to life. Steve was a fountain of knowledge about craft beer, music, cars, car racing, the stock market, and worldwide travel. He climbed Mt. Kenya, took two Fulbright groups for summer study in Poland, taught at universities in Poznan, Vienna, and Wrocław, and traveled extensively in his capacity as Director of International Programs at Coastal. Steve understood the relationship between Spirit and spirits. One of the ways he explored the world was searching out special beers and artisanal liquors. He visited monasteries in Europe where the monks brew beer, drove home with cases of special beers procured at venues he searched out all along the I-95 corridor as he made treks back and forth between New Jersey and South Carolina, kept tasting notes in spiral bound notebooks before Untappd was a thing, and papered the walls of the garage with flattened six pack holders, all different, all beers he'd tried. He appreciated that the Vikings referred to the concept of Fellowship as Beership. His last significant beer quest led him in December to three bottles of Utopias, surely no coincidence. Steve is survived and celebrated by his wife Sara Lyles Sanders, his son Brendan Colahan Nagle, his daughter-in-law Caroline Tilma Nagle, his grandson Truman Timothy and his granddaughter Shay Lyles; by his beloved siblings Mike (Karen), Andy (Celia), Jaime El Georr (Sami) and nieces and nephews Meghan, Allison, Andy , Daniel, Sabrina, Vanessa and Alexander; and by all his Beloved Constituency who haven't graduated yet. On Saturday, February 28, 2026, there will be a memorial service for Steve at Coastal Carolina University's Lackey Chapel at 3:00 followed by a celebration of life at 104 Laurel Street, Conway, SC at 4:00. If you would like to honor Steve with a charitable contribution, a cause that is near and dear to your heart would be perfect. The two causes he contributed to were St. Jude's Children's Hospital and St. Benedict's Preparatory School.

Tributes

Stephen Joseph Nagle

September 29, 1948 - February 18, 2026