Philip Dale Steele, age 70, of Longs, South Carolina, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on July 19th, 2026, following a courageous and hard-fought six-year battle with cancer. Throughout his journey, Dale’s unwavering faith in God and love for his family remained his ultimate strength.
Dale was born on August 17, 1955, in York, Alabama, to Margaret Steele and the late Andrew Martin “Pete” Steele. He grew up with a passion for the game of football, graduating from Autauga County High School in Prattville, Alabama, where he played the game he loved and met the absolute love of his life, Pamela Kilpatrick. The high school sweethearts were married and shared 52 beautiful years of devotion, partnership, and deep love.
Following high school, Dale attended the University of South Carolina, where he played football and was first introduced to the world of coaching—igniting a legendary 43-year career. A lifetime member of the American Football Coaches Association, Coach Steele’s coaching journey took him across the country, leaving an indelible mark on countless young men and fellow coaches. To Dale, coaching was a calling that extended far beyond the field, carrying his players in his heart and proudly considering them his sons. Among his many achievements, he won a National Championship as a member of the coaching staff at James Madison University. He also spent multiple impactful years coaching at East Carolina University, a place he always cherished as his “second home,” where he formed bonds with lifelong friends who became like family.
On June 15, 2006, Coach Steele was named the first head football coach at Campbell University as they revived their football program after a 50-year hiatus. His dedication to building the program from the ground up culminated in one of his proudest career achievements: being inducted into the Campbell University Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2025.
While Coach Steele’s legacy on the gridiron was vast, his true victory was his family. A man of deep and quiet faith, Dale was a devoted husband, father, son, brother, and uncle. Above all, he was a doting “Pepaw” to his granddaughters. In his retirement, when he wasn’t enjoying a round of golf, nothing brought him greater joy than spending precious time with them.
Dale was preceded in death by his father, Andrew Martin “Pete” Steele.
His legacy of love, faith, and leadership lives on through his surviving family: his beloved wife of 52 years, Pam K. Steele; his daughters, Meghan Penny and her husband, Ben, of Coats, North Carolina, and Kelsey Hearrell and her husband, Tony, of Brigham City, Utah; his precious, deeply loved granddaughters, Emery Penny and Fenley Hearrell; his mother, Margaret Steele of Little River, South Carolina; his brothers, Kevin Steele and his wife, Linda, of Edisto Island, South Carolina, and Jeffrey Steele of Auburn, Alabama; his nephew, Gordon Steele, his wife, Melissa, and their children of Birmingham, Alabama; his niece, Caroline Steele of Auburn, Alabama; and his beloved fur babies, Chess and Finnegan.
The family wishes to extend their deepest gratitude to the wonderful doctors and nurses at the ECU Cancer Center, the Duke Cancer Center, Lower Cape Fear LifeCare, and the many friends whose overwhelming love, prayers, and support carried Coach and his family through this journey.
A service to celebrate Dale’s life and faith will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 1, at Butler Chapel on the Campus of Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to honor his lasting legacy at Campbell University:
Steele Family Football Endowed Scholarship Fund
Lee Funeral Home
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