Steve was born December 20, 1949 in Cincinnati to Willard C. and Lucille M. (Gibbons) Cordes, Sr. He attended Moeller High School and graduated in 1967. He also attended Xavier University and in the Pershing Rifles Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). In 1970, he was awarded a two-year Army ROTC Scholarship. In July 1972, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He then served in the United States Army.
After the Army, Steve joined the Wyoming Police Department as a Police Officer on August 13, 1979. Over time, he was promoted to Sergeant. He retired on February 13, 2005.
He then joined the Glendale Police Department on May 2, 2005 and served there until July 5, 2021, having served his country and two communities for more than 53 years. He was also a volunteer with the West Chester Fire Department.
Sergeant Cordes died on March 4, 2025, at the age of 75.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 24 years, Pamela S. (Schweikert) Cordes (2014), and brother, W. Charles Cordes. Sergeant Cordes is survived by his siblings, Tim (Connie) Cordes, Mary Rynn (Bob) Malarkey, and Paul (Lisa) Cordes; and siblings-in-law, Connie Womack, Patricia Cordes, Gary Schweikert, and Ted Schweikert.
A visitation will be held at 11 a.m. on April 4, 2025 at Arlington Memorial Gardens Funeral Home (follow the blue line) at 2155 Compton Road in Springfield Township. Funeral services will be held at 12 p.m. Internment will follow at 1 p.m.
Memorials may be made to the National Museum of the United States Army at P.O Box 96281, Washington, DC 20090-6281 or the Freestore Foodbank at P.O Box 692216, Cincinnati, OH 45269-2216.
© 2025 – All rights are reserved to LT Stephen R. Kramer RET and the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum.