Steve Wesley Spradley, 80 of Live Oak, passed away on Sunday, May 12, 2024 at the HCA North-HCA Florida Ocala Hospital in Ocala, FL.  He was born the third child of four to the late, former Sherriff of Columbia County, Harry Jackson Spradley and Katie Lee Thomas Spradley.  Mr. Spradley was of the Methodist faith and was raised in the First United Methodist Church of Lake City.  He was a graduate of Columbia High School class of 1962 and lettered in football, being voted by his peers as the Captain of the 1962 football team.  Following high school, Mr. Spradley attended Lake City Community College and then furthered his education on a football scholarship at Troy State University in Alabama.  After college he joined the United States Marine Corp and served two tours in Vietnam.  Mr. Spradley then worked for GE Financial in Tallahassee before he transitioned into the Florida Department of Corrections, serving as a Sergeant.  Mr. Spradley was elected as Sherriff of Columbia County in 1980 and retired from Prichett Trucking in Lake Butler in 2014, with over 25 years of employment, retiring as Supervisor of dispatch.  He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Lorraine Capps Spradley in 2013; his daughter, Deidra Spradley in 2015; his sister, Harriett Hasbani; brother-in-law, Dr. Joseph Hasbani; and sister-in-law, Bari Hartzell.

Survivors include his two children, Shannon Spradley Brady (Shanna), Live Oak and Wesley Spradley (Adriane), Belleview; one brother, Don Spradley (Dorothy), Lake City; one sister, Linda K. Culbreth (Gerald), Tallahassee; mother-in-law, Dorothy L. Dobbs, St. Augustine; sister-in-law, Kim Wilson (David), St. Augustine; brother-in-law, Brett Markham (Candy), Virginia; seven grandchildren, Aidan, Brennan, Kaly, Brody, Everleigh, Jase and Westyn; and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services for Mr. Spradley will be conducted on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 11:00 AM in the Gateway-Forest Lawn Memorial Chapel with Rev. Howard Thomas officiating.  Interment will follow in Corinth Cemetery north of Lake City.  A time of visitation with the family will be one hour prior to the service in the chapel from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM.