Steven Lyle Jamison

Steven Lyle Jamison was born March 18, 1923 in Pocatello, Idaho and moved in 1924 to Southern California with his parents and four older brothers.

In early 1925, the family was involved in an accident that killed his mother and left Steve with a crippled left arm and hand. He lived with his grandparents in Utah for the next five years before returning to California in time to start first grade. It was an all-male household until his father remarried in 1932.

Steve excelled at Venice High School in both academics and in many extra-curricular functions, serving as Student Body President in his senior year. He started at UCLA as a pre-law student, but later switched to a mathematics major, graduating in 1944. It was at UCLA that he met Alba Rita Di Giantomasso, whom he married in 1945 and, together, they continued their graduate work at UC Berkeley. After receiving his PhD in mathematics in 1950, he and Rita moved to Florida where Steve held the position of Assistant Professor at Florida State University.

In 1954, the budding computer industry became so enticing that Steve began a 30-year career with IBM that involved a wide variety of technical and managerial positions. He was excited to help usher in the "computer age," particularly as regards software development and technical applications. But perhaps his greatest satisfaction came from his last eleven years with IBM, when he became totally committed to the employment of and accommodations for deaf people. He established and ran a national program for IBM that placed over 300 deaf college students in professional internships in many disciplines. He was also responsible for the development of a book that standardized and illustrated over 600 signs for computer terminology. Steve received many awards for his efforts on behalf of deaf people, including the Distinguished Service Award presented by the California Governor's Committee for Employment of the Handicapped.

Throughout his career, Steve and Rita have been ardently involved in the rearing of their four children and in supporting their academics, sport and church activities. After retiring in 1984, Steve prepared a 20-page family newsletter that for five years he sent quarterly to over 200 relatives: his children, brothers, sisters and their descendants. He also became heavily involved in researching both his and Rita's ancestry. In particular, Steve has identified over 15,000 Italians who are related by blood or marriage to Rita.

In 2006, Steve and Rita moved to Eskaton Village, a retirement community in Carmichael, California where they were involved in many of the activities there and in the various meetings and functions of their church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Rita died in 2016. Steve passed away on May 3, 2020 in Carmichael, California. He is survived by his three sons; (Mark, Paul and Matthew), a daughter (Anne Mansfield), eight grandchildren, two great grandsons and a half-brother (Gary).

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Steven Lyle Jamison, please visit our floral store.