Kevin Venters

Kevin L. Venters, 56, of Powell, Ohio, passed away on December 17, 2025, surrounded by his wife and family. He was born on August 1, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio.

Kevin is survived by his adoring wife, Paula (Santa); parents, Albert and Nancy (Rogers) Gausepohl; aunt and uncle, Janet and David Hildebrand; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Frank and Phyllis Santa; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Lynnette (Santa) and Brian Faldowski; and numerous relatives through marriage.

Kevin graduated from Whetstone High School and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems from DeVry Institute of Technology. After college, he worked in network administration and engineering at the Ohio Attorney General's Office and Ohio Legislative Information Systems. Since October 1998, Kevin was employed by American Electric Power. He most recently served as Security Specialist Lead. His previous positions at AEP included IT Network Consultant Principal and Network Analyst.

Kevin was a member of the Ohio Cyber Reserve where he was an instrumental part of a team that was built to assist, educate and respond in support of his central Ohio community. His support for the OhCR’s work in water treatment was instrumental to its success. He was a trusted and well-respected member of the team who will be missed.

Kevin was also a long-term advisory committee member at Tolles Career and Technical Center. He served on the committee for the last 5 years, helping to steer the direction of the content covered toward the current successful Cybersecurity pathways they now have.

A dedicated supporter of the Central Ohio Chapter of the Information Systems Security Association (COISSA), Kevin generously volunteered his time and expertise to their cybersecurity community, always willing to give back to others. His contributions to the scholarship foundation’s interview process were invaluable through his thoughtful candidate evaluations, and he helped identify deserving scholarship recipients and expand opportunities for aspiring cybersecurity professionals.

Kevin was a huge sports fan. He was a loyal Cleveland Browns fan and was a season ticket holder for several years. He was an even bigger fan of Ohio State sports, especially football and wrestling. On home football Saturdays, you could find him tailgating and attending the games with his wife and friends. Kevin and Paula loved to travel, making trips to football and wrestling national championships, national parks, beaches, sporting events, and visiting family. Kevin and Paula were also inaugural members of the National Veterans Memorial and Museum, attending several events there, including celebrations on national holidays. They were very active, participating in many 5K and 4-mile races around central Ohio. Kevin loved to play golf and attend bourbon tastings with friends and colleagues.

If you knew Kevin, you know he had a big heart and he was generous to a fault. He was always ready to help family, friends, and neighbors, whether it was shoveling the driveway, solving a computer issue, or just connecting people. For years, he was part of the DCON Memorial Golf Outing team, helping to raise over $100,000 for the American Brain Tumor Association. Kevin volunteered at many other charity fundraisers as well. He loved Christmas, donating toys and gifts to local charities, including the Firefighters 4 Kids Toy Drive. He was also a kid at heart, always able to make people laugh or put a smile on their face with his playful comments and actions. Since he was young, he was a fan of Legos, and he was still collecting and building Lego sets over the last few years.

Kevin and Paula were married on June 13, 2020, and because of the pandemic, they celebrated their union with two wedding ceremonies. While only being in each other’s lives for 14 years, they loved each other completely, and Kevin made them the best years of Paula’s life. He was the most kind, caring, giving, and loving husband any wife could ask for, filling their life with love, adventures, and meaningful moments.

While no words are adequate to describe what an amazing human being he was, Kevin made a lasting impact on every life he touched. He will be deeply missed.

Friends may call at the NEWCOMER NORTHWEST CHAPEL 10051 Brewster Lane, Powell, Ohio 43065 on Monday, December 29, 2025 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm and again from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. Mass will be held on Tuesday, December 30, 2025 at 10:30am at St. Joan of Arc 10700 Liberty Rd, Powell, OH 43065.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Kevin’s name to COISSA or The National Veterans Memorial and Museum.

https://give.nationalvmm.org/give 

https://www.coissascholarship.org/take-action-1