James Stephen “Steve” Jennings, 70, of Kirkwood died July 25, 2026, at his home. Mr. Jennings was a journalist and an advocate for those affected with disabilities. After graduating from Crystal City High School in 1974, he worked for several local newspapers, including Jefferson County Publications, the Courier-Journal and Leader Publications, covering a wide variety of local sports and doing many human-interest stories. He valued the relationships he built as a journalist.
He is remembered for his friendliness, his curiosity, his quest for understanding and his engaging Q&A sessions. He was genuinely interested to learn about what was going on in everyone’s life. He was a creative artist and a clever cartoonist with a flair for the political. He actively campaigned for Christopher “Kit” Bond’s governor races in the 1970s and was affiliated with the St. Louis chapter of the National Ataxia Foundation, spearheading many fundraising events for muscular dystrophy. In the 1990s, he attended the University of Missouri, where he met his wife, and the couple, challenged with physical disabilities, lived independently in St. Louis for 30 years. Born in January 1956, he was the son of the late James “Ike” and Carol (Noce) Jennings.
He is survived by his wife, Ana Leitzelar Jennings; a brother: James (Deone) Jennings of Bend, Ore.; two sisters: Susan (Lynn) Long and Julie (Paul) Skei, both of Springfield, Mo.; three nephews: Jackson Jennings, Garrett Leitzelar and Peter Leitzelar; eight nieces: Carrie Green, Leah Merritt, Ali Rotello, Kristina Carter, Elin Skei, Ana Leitzelar, Lauren Leitzelar and Isabell Leitzelar; and numerous great-nieces and -nephews.
Mr. Jennings chose to donate his body to medical research. A celebration of life is planned for late September; check Facebook for information.