Born in 1912, he is older than the $81 million Pittsburgh Firefighters Federal Credit Union, which was founded in 1935. Steinkirchner joined the credit union in 1938 when he was 28. He became a supervisory board member in 1962 and served in that capacity until 1984 when he joined the board of directors. 

A 2016 Wall Street Journal analysis reported that the average age of the 4,500 men and women who serve as a board member on S&P 500 corporations is 63. About 71 corporate board members were in their 80s. In a 2013 article on the longest serving directors, the newspaper reported the oldest board member was 87. And in 2004, Forbes magazine reported that Max Fisher was the oldest director of an S&P 500 company, Comerica. He died the next year at age 96.

Since he joined the supervisory committee and began serving as a board director 35 years ago, he undoubtedly attended a lot of meetings and participated in many board and credit union activities, though he admits he has been slowing down lately since he lost his driver's license about six months ago. Even though he says his general health is pretty good, he uses a cane for walking and wears two hearing aids. Steinkirchner lives with his son, who drives him to board meetings. Sometimes, he'll take the bus when he wants to go somewhere else.

"The credit union industry is a wonderful thing," Steinkirchner said.

However, he bemoans the disappearance of small credit unions through consolidation, and he is somewhat troubled that some of the large credit unions are becoming more like banks. 

"Just about every church in Pittsburgh had a credit union, including my church, St. Augustine. It was able to make loans to very poor people and that was the intent of it," he said. "Now, all of the church credit unions seem to be gone."

Nevertheless, he believes credit unions that serve a niche field of membership like Pittsburgh Firefighters, which serves firefighters, police officers and other government employees, are in a good position because they can deliver personalized services that the big banks cannot provide. 

One of the reasons Steinkirchner likes the credit union industry is that it closely aligns with his values as a devout Catholic.

"My mission is to go to the hospital and talk to the sick people," he said. "I give them a medal of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I feel a need for it."

During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army and fought in Europe.  When the war was over he visited the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France where the Blessed Virgin Mary purportedly appeared before three children. 

"It was a beautiful experience," he recalled. 

Steinkirchner returned to the shrine several times over the years with his wife, Agnes, to whom he had been married for 75 years. For more four and half decades he served as a Pittsburgh firefighter and retired in 1982 as a deputy chief.

Agnes passed away in 2017 at the age of 93.

"My wife died on me two years ago and I still miss her," he said. "She was the love affair of my life."

As for Steinkirchner, when he turned 70, he didn't really think he had that much longer to live. 

"I never knew I was someday going to be 107," he laughed. "Next September the 5th, I'll be 108."