Steven J. Oberg in Memoriam

1964-2023

In the early morning hours of April 2, 2023, our colleague and friend, Steve Oberg, died of malignant melanoma.  He was 59 years old.  Steve is survived by his wife Racheal, his children Jack, Tess, and Meg, and his bonus children, Jordyn, Kaite, Jake, and Zach.  

Steve was born and raised on a farm near Colton, South Dakota.  He graduated magna cum laude from the University of South Dakota and received his law degree from the University of Minnesota, graduating cum laude in 1990.  Steve began and ended his legal career at Lynn Jackson, first in the Firm’s Rapid City office, where he practiced from 1991 until 2017, when he moved to Sioux Falls and continued practicing out of the Firm’s Sioux Falls office until recently. Steve was a litigator.  He loved analyzing facts and the law, loved hashing them out with others, and he loved trial work, where he excelled.  Steve successfully litigated a number of commercial and personal injury cases, both for plaintiffs and defendants.  Regardless of whose side he was on, he zealously advocated for them.  During his career, Steve was given many awards and recognitions, including being named to the list of Best Lawyers in America® in the areas of personal injury, products liability, commercial litigation, and insurance litigation, and being named a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).  

Steve loved the beautiful Black Hills, where he would often ski at Terry Peak or hike many of its trails and hills, including Black Elk Peak.  Steve was a talented musician, playing guitar or harmonica around the campfire and oftentimes accompanied by his kids.  Steve and Racheal were avid fans of their kids’ sporting teams, especially hockey and baseball, and his family loved the outdoors, spending much of their free time fishing, boating, kayaking, canoeing, hunting, skiing and hiking many of the country’s national parks.  Steve and Racheal recently took the trip of a lifetime to Africa, where they summited Mt. Kilimanjaro.  Steve was always so proud of Racheal’s and their kids’ many accomplishments, often regaling his colleagues with stories of their many adventures and activities.  As partner Tom Fritz said, “Steve’s excitement was contagious.”  

Steve was often accompanied in the office by his loyal dog, Geno.  After 32 years practicing law in South Dakota, Steve will be missed, not only by all his friends and colleagues at Lynn Jackson but by his friends and colleagues in the South Dakota bar and beyond.  Steve was a talented lawyer, and more importantly, a great friend, husband, and father.  Suffice it to say, Steve packed a lifetime of adventure into his short time on this earth.  We should all heed Steve’s recent advice to “take time to enjoy life.”