Not only was Rocky Steen a successful businessman, he was also a loving husband and devoted father.
Mr. Steen, 55, died Thursday.
Mr. Steen was chairman of the Ferguson Holding Co., which owns J.J. Ferguson Sand & Gravel Inc., J.J. Ferguson Prestress-Precast Inc. and J.J. Ferguson Transporters Inc.
Mr. Steen was also the owner and president of Satrel Farms LLC.
“He was a very shrewd, successful businessman. He had a personality as big as he was,” said Mr. Steen’s wife, Shannon.
Visitation for Mr. Steen will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. this evening at Wilson & Knight Funeral Home.
Interment will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Odd Fellows East Cemetery. A celebration of life memorial service will follow at 1 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Greenwood with the Dr. Jim Phillips officiating.
Mr. Steen purchased J.J. Ferguson from the estate of Jesse Ferguson when Ferguson died in 2005.
“Rocky was a wonderful boss. He was an excellent friend,” said Christy Powell, Ferguson’s vice president of internal operations and the company’s comptroller.
Mr. Steen had the ability to see all aspects of a business proposal and made sure that all parties were treated fairly, she said.
In addition, Mr. Steen was “good to his employees,” Powell said.
Mr. Steen was also good at giving an employee a task, giving them instructions on how to do it and then “letting them go about doing it. He didn’t hover over you,” she said.
Mr. Steen was a native of Greenwood. He was the son of Jerry Steen Sr. and Cecelia Holbrook Steen.
Mr. Steen, an avid outdoorsman, “loved to hunt and fish with his boys and to watch (his daughter) Sara Beth play softball,” said Shannon Steen.
Mr. Steen attended First Baptist Church of Greenwood. He was a long-time supporter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Ducks Unlimited and Pillow Academy.
• Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
