Born in Owensboro, KY on November 2, 1904, Steve gained an appointment to the Naval Academy in 1923. Upon his graduation in 1927 he was assigned to the USS Denver which was involved with the Second Nicaraguan Campaign. Next came a tour in the light cruiser Detroit, followed by tours in destroyers Hulbert, Truxton, and Chandler. Returning to Annapolis he attended Postgraduate School for naval engineering. After a brief tour with Saratoga, he became engineering officer on the USS Cushing. By 1942, after shore duty with BuShips in Washington, he was given his first command; the USS Dallas, a four stack destroyer. He was to earn the Navy Cross on this ship.

During the invasion of North Africa, he led the Dallas up a shallow river in French Morocco to land Army Rangers to secure the French airfield at Port Lyautey. This was done under determined shore resistance, without material damage or personnel loss.

Leaving the Dallas on December 11, 1942, LCDR Brodie reported to Bethlehem Steel shipyard in Quincy, MA for the fitting out of his new command; the USS Ordronaux. As captain of DD617 he ably lead the Ordronaux through the invasion of Sicily and numerous convoy runs across the Atlantic, earning several commendations. He is remembered by former crewmen for his order that " there will be no cheering while brave men are dying"; made in reference the shooting down of German bombers during a night attack on Allied ships at Bizerte.

By February of 1944, he reported to the new destroyer, USS Haynsworth as commanding officer. Again he was commended for his performence off Okinawa while screening the fleet. In January 1946 he became involved with the atomic bomb test known as 'Operation Crossroads' serving as Assistant Chief of Staff to the Joint Task Force. 1948 saw him enrolled in the Senior Course at the Naval War College in Newport, RI where upon completion he became commander of Destroyer Squadron Eleven. It was shore duty again in 1950 with the Navy Department. On March 31, 1953, he assumed command of the batteleship USS Missouri. A year later he was detached for duty with a senior advisory staff in Taipei, Formosa. Captain Brodie's last tour was as Director of the Transportation Division, BuPers, Navy Department. His retirement from naval service took place on June 1, 1957. He was advanced to the rank of Rear Admiral on the basis of his combat awards. He retired to Chevy Chase, Maryland with his wife, Dixie, and their two children. Admiral Brodie passed away in 1977 from cancer.

Perhaps nothing exhibits the kind of leader Admiral Brodie was, more than the time one of Ordronaux's 5" guns experienced a hangfire. After performing the necessary procedure and at great personal risk, rather than solicit a volunteer, he personally removed the misfired round and tossed it over the side.