Statistician and aerospace consultant Stephen Richard Webb—who established himself in Orange County, California, as a singer with the Pacific Chorale and an active member of many organizations, including Orange County Ski Club and Balboa Ski Club—died on June 18, 2024, at the age of 85. He had been in decline in recent years due to advanced Parkinsonism and other issues.
Steve Webb will likely be remembered as someone who was quiet and easygoing and who reserved judgment, had a dry sense of humor, and loved puns he inherited from his father. He prioritized family, friends, opportunities to gather, and good martinis.
Not one to leap into action or immediately respond in any situation (all variables must be considered), Steve meant what he did or said. He embraced personal challenges, liked lists, and—always a mathematician—followed his own code in life and relationships. He was loved by many and loved living alone.
Steve was born July 3, 1938, in Franklin, Indiana, the eldest child of Harold Donivan Webb and Margaret (Hougham) Webb, both teachers. In 1947, the family moved to Urbana, Illinois. Steve graduated from University High School in 1955, recipient of a Westinghouse Science Scholarship, after being declared a winner in the company’s national science talent search contest. He attended the University of Illinois and was active in track and field and fencing. He was also president of the Varsity Glee Club and part of the “Singing Illini,” a group of singers who made local headlines when they went on a European concert tour in 1958, highlighted by an appearance at the Brussels World’s Fair.
Graduating with a BS in mathematics in 1959, Steve married musician Margaret Sisk (a fellow University of Illinois graduate) in June of that year. He won an Honor Entrance Scholarship to The University of Chicago, earning an MA in 1960 and his PhD in statistics in 1962. Shortly after, the couple moved to Los Angeles so Steve could pursue a career in aerospace. They had three children and divorced in 1970.
Steve was employed in southern California as principal scientist of statistics for Rocketdyne through 1968, working on projects including Apollo rocket heat shields for NASA. He then held a management position at McDonnell Douglas Aeronautics, where he received citations for his outstanding contributions to aerospace literature, publishing numerous papers and reports on experiment design and other topics. He later acted as head of the California Program Office for Teledyne Brown Engineering, developing ballistic missile defense simulations and anti-satellite weapons testing.
As an independent space systems analyst, Steve won private and government contracts, including evaluating the NORAD missile warning system and, as an adviser to Rockwell International, overseeing development of the OSCAR anti-satellite mission effectiveness model.
A member of the American Statistical Association for more than 50 years, Steve held positions as Southern California membership chair and secretary. He also served as chair and program chair of the Statistical Program Evaluation Committee.
In the early ’70s, Steve became involved with a number of Orange County organizations to support activities for himself and his children. He was a member of the Corona del Mar Track Club, a member of the board of managers of YMCA Huntington Beach-Fountain Valley, and president of his local Parents Without Partners chapter.
Discovering skiing—and backpacking in the Sierra Nevada mountains—gave him a new passion. Steve’s enthusiasm and commitment led to his being declared a “lifetime member” of Orange County Ski Club; for multiple years, he served as the club’s trip chair and then president. He was a member of Newport Ski Club, Balboa Ski Club, and the Far West Ski Association, placing in championship ski competitions. He considered Mammoth Mountain a second home and wrote several articles published in newsletters and Ski Magazine.
In 1981, Steve’s love of singing was refueled after he joined the Pacific Chorale under the direction of John Alexander. As part of the chorale, he performed locally with the Long Beach Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Pasadena Symphony, LA Philharmonic at Hollywood Bowl, and Disney Hall and with the chorale’s education programs. He also served on the group’s artistic committee and sang on tours throughout Europe, the USSR, China, and South America and on several concert recordings with notable artists such as cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
Steve also kept busy with jobs as a soloist at the Laguna Presbyterian Church and choir leader at St. James Church in Newport Beach, singing at the Corona Del Mar Baroque Festival and caroling for public and private events each Christmas season.
Steve met his significant other, Sallee Leslie, in 1982. They remained a couple for more than 30 years. Steve was closely involved in the lives of her two daughters and beloved by Sallee’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
By 2015, Steve’s activities were significantly curtailed due to the effects of heart issues, essential tremors, and Parkinsonism. In December 2016, he made the decision to move to St. Francis’ Home Care, a small facility in Mission Viejo where he lived until his death. He died peacefully with family by his side.
Steve is preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Sharon (Webb) Sticha; and his son, Tim Webb (an engineer and musician). He is survived by sisters Patricia (Webb) Muirhead in California and Diana Webb in Florida; his son, Doug Webb (a jazz musician married to Alex Medina Webb), and daughter, Jennie Webb (a playwright), who live in Los Angeles; daughter-in-law, Sarah Brody Webb; grandchildren Phoebe Webb, Samantha Webb, Spencer Webb, and Ryan Webb (married to Jennifer Webb); and a great-grandson, James Finley Webb.
Private remembrances will be held in the upcoming months. Friends and colleagues are welcome to reach out to Jennie Webb.
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