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Posted by: Shawna Henderson
Steve...
It is crazy that you call his work to invite him over to your house for a party and you receive this crazy news. As with everyone, I was in complete shock and perhaps still am. Steve was a great person with a heart of gold. We enjoyed WideSpread Shows together and a baseball game or two. What a smart, fun individual. You wonder why? Miss you Steve... |
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Posted by: Dario Duque
I'm still in total SHOCK! I miss my good buddy!
Hope you are all doing well. |
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Posted by: Sharon Ziegler
Thanks Jerry for all of your memories of Steve's younger days. I laughed and laughed as I read through them. It felt really good to laugh. You were a great friend to Steve and were like a brother. Steve was like a brother to so many of you...what a testimony of the kind of man that he was. Thanks so much to everyone for all of their kind words on this site and in person at the different memorial services. You have made this a little easier to go through. |
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Posted by: Sharon Ziegler
I can't tell all of you how much I have enjoyed reading all of these memories of Steve. I am Steve's older sister,Sharon. He was absolutely the best brother that I could have ever asked for. In the past few years I haven't talked to him as often as I would have liked and have only seen him once or twice a year, so it has been fun to read your memories of his last years.
One of the things I remember doing with Steve was ice skating on the stock pond in the pasture about a half mile from our place. Steve would carry the shovel and I would carry the one pair of ice skates. We would have to shovel for quite sometime before we had an area of ice big enough to skate on. Then we would take turns skating because all we had was Mom's old skates. They were way too big for us so we had to stuff socks in the end of them. We sure had a great time though. Years later he bought me my first pair of skates. I still have them although I haven't skated for a long time. My kids use them now.
I will always remember Steve as someone who gave and gave and gave. Last year at Christmas time it seemed like every other day we had another package from Steve. And a few years ago when my husbandd was out of work, Steve told my Dad to give us whatever money he had been planning on giving to Steve. Steve never told me that, so I would have never known except that Dad told me about it.
My kids really loved their uncle. They were constantly climbing up him or on him, basically just all over him. He never ran out of patience. They miss him a lot as all of the rest of us do. He was simply too young to die, but I am so thankful for all of the great memories of him, for his laugh, for his tender heart, and his giving spirit. I am just thankful for who he was and that I was blessed enough to be a part of his life. I am also thankful that I know where he is and that some day I will have all of eternity to get caught up with him again.
I'll always love you Steve and I miss you terribly. |
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Posted by: Darlene Kertscher
I just forgot to mention the Mt. hike on August 12th in memory of Steve and the spreading of some of his ashes on the mountains he loved. I know the mt. is named the Mt. of the Holy Cross. I'm sure you didn't realize that the date you picked is our 45th. wedding anniversary. |
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Posted by: Darlene Kertscher
As I said the service was done by the family. This was written and shared by Andrea Ziegler. She is his 19 year old niece.
When I heard that Steve was gone, I couldn't believe it. It couldn't be true. I refused to believe his vibrant, teasing self would no longer be there at family gatherings.
Gradually the truth began to sink in. I kept hearing John's tear-filled voice repeat the news. I shook the tears from my eyes as memories filled my mind.
The time we'd gone running together. How Steve wouldn't wait up for me when I got tired. "You can always do more than you think you can," he tossed over his shoulder . He was right. I'd kept running and after a while when I got my second wind it actually felt pretty good.
I remembered the letter he wrote to me when I graduated. He told me never to be afraid of following my dreams and never to let go of them.
I laughed through my tears remembering how he used to tug one of my long braids and ask "How's it going?" His standard greeting to me.
It's still hard for me to understand why he had to die like that. Why couldn't it have been in a car accident? Why this?
And yet the thought comes with startling clarity. He wouldn't have been ready if it had been in an accident. It was in those last precious seconds that God came near and whispered one last time, "Come."
Finally the fog of pride and self-reliance was swept away, and Steve saw clearly what God had been trying to tell him all his llife.
And in his final moments STeve came to the foot of the cross and found forgiveness waiting there. Forgiveness paid for by an everlasting love. The love of Jesus who'd been waiting all Steve's life for him to finally see.
Ever since the shocking news of Steve's death, God has been giving people the same news in different ways.
In a Bible verse brought to mind, perfect peace to heal a heart torn by grief or just a quiet knowing that Steve is there waiting for us. In the country where there is no night of sorrow, no more tears. In the land where joy abounds and laughter rings.
To Steve,
I still love you.
Andrea
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Posted by: Darlene Kertscher
I still wish every day I wake up this nightmare would be over. It has been so good to read all of the articles posted by his friends. We enjoyed meeting so many of you out in Dillon at the wonderfull memorial service planned by his friends.I had met some of you before and knew he had great friends. It was also so good to see so many of Steves old high school friends in Alexandria. We didn't expect so many to come out as we have been gone almost eight years. We also had so much support by friends and relatives in Minnesota at the service. It's been two weeks from hell, but we've met a lot of angels .
The service we did in Henning, Mn was a family planned and written service. I would like to share a few things that I wrote. Steve loved celebrations and attended many in his life. He always told us he didn't want a funeral or a burial. He said he has spent time with himself in a tent after not showering and didn't like the smell. A casket could only be worse. We have scattered some of his ashes in Lake Dillon. Steve's best friend Jerry will spread ashes on their old hunting ground. Our friend Art in SD will spread ashes on his land as that is where Steve spent many, many hours hunting and fishing on the river bottom. Sharon and Ann will spread ashes at their homes as Steve loved them dearly and also loved their children. We will spread ashes in Blanche Lake right below us here as John and Steve spent many enjoyable hours fishing there.
Steve has always been fiercely independent all of his life. The first day of Kindergarten he wouldn't let me take him. He picked up his rug and he said "I'll pick up Jerry and we'll go. His first day of college we wanted tp pack up his stuff and take him down there. He said I have everything in my car and I"ll go. When he graduated from college he said he was going to Colorado. He fell in love with the state and the people there.
When he was suffering from Rhabdomyolosis and had to depend on people to help him that was very difficult for him.
I believe it was this independence that did him in. As you know he received a third DWI at 2:00 on Mon. morning. He was released at 4:48 am on bail. He would lose his drivers license and wouldn't be able to leave the state. He was supposed to fly out to Mn. on Wed. and knew he wouldn't be able to do that. I believe he let himself down as he had high ideals and this didn't live up to them.
His decision was made in those couple of hours and there was nothing any of the rest of us could have done. As we know he would never ask for help.I only wish he could have because I know any of you would have been there for him.
Again THANKS FOR BEING HIS FRIEND!
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Posted by: Ann Harrington
I was Steve's youngest sister.
I remember Steve in the early years as the typical older brother...lots of teasing etc. He used to like to scare me by shutting the power off at the breaker then go around the house making scary noises. When I read Jerry's E-mail I was reminded of the time they talked me into collecting the wayward rubberbands during their rubberband fight.
I was 12 when he left for college and from then on I saw very little of him. When I started college (also at the University of South Dakota) he would call every so often to find out how I was doing and who my professors were. One time in particular I remember very well-some friends had gotten into trouble with the Vermillion police, I had not really been involved but had been enough that I lived in fear daily. Steve happened to call and say he was officer such and such from the Vermillion police dept and he needed to ask me some questions. I was speechless. I didn't say a word until he finally says "it's me Steve" we both got a laugh out of that one-he more than I.
About the time I moved to Georgia we started talking a lot more and really became good friends. He introduced my husband and I to Widespread Panic and of the eight shows I have seen, seven were with Steve. The last one was just 1 month ago.
My kids thought Uncle Steve was the best. Last year when he was out for New Years everytime I looked outside he was going down the slide. They thought for sure he was younger than I because he was more fun. The only person my daughter Natalie wanted to come for her B-day last year was "uncle Steve"
His death has left a huge void in my life and so many others. I am thankful to all of you who have shown so much kindness and support to my family and myself.
Some of you probably heard Steve give this toast and maybe one of you even introduced it to him but I cannot remember a New Years out here that he didn't give it.
There are good ships
and there are wood ships
and ships that sail the sea
but the best ships are friendships
and may they always be
To Steve-may the spirit of your friendship remain with us all
Ann |
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Posted by: Jerry Smith
After reading all the comments from Steve's friends in Colorado and his buddies from college I thought I would write about Steve's younger years while growing up in a small town in SD. Steve was my best friend growing up and I remember telling him this while we were sitting in his tractor tire sand box. I told him the reason he was my best friend was because my favorite color was orange and he had orange hair. ( I also learned later that I was color blind) I remember the first time we got into trouble together. It was also in the sand box, we got caught with matches and burning things up. We both got grounded for a week and living only 1/2 block apart and not being able to play together was very hard on us both. Growing up in Alexandria was great! We were explorers, we explored every old house in town, knew every place to hide and not get found. When John and Darlene moved to an acreage out of town, this was great. We could explore new ground with no town people watching. We could pee outside and no one would care. (We also got in trouble for doing this in town) Alexandria never knew how many times we saved the town from invaders. Whether is was aliens, the Germans, the Indians--we defeated them all with BB guns and walkie talkies. Then there was the sniper game we played. One of us would hide in the tree belt and the other would try to find him before being shot. (BB's really do sting when you get hit) Good thing our parents never found out about that game.
The last time Steve and I got together was in Nov. 05. Our high school team was playing for the State Championship in football. Steve called to see if I could get him a ticket. He came back for the game and we spent the weekend pheasant hunting and talking about the good old days. He apologized for not coming back more often. I did the same to him for not calling more often. When my friend Joe Weber (who actually talked to Steve the Saturday night of the BBQ) told me about what happened it about floored me. Not Steve--NO WAY!! I know now that he is exploring the best place on earth. I know when I am in Colorado Archery Elk hunting this year he will be looking down on me. I wish I could chew him out for leaving us way to early and then tell him how much he meant to me.
John, Darlene, Sharon and Ann--I am so very sorry for your loss. It was really good to see all of you again. I also wish I could have met Steve's friends in Colorado, you all sound like great people who also had great times with Steve. Thanks for this website, it is great to read about Steve and how he lived his life while in Colorado. I will miss him. |
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Posted by: Donna L. Zuke
To All:
I was just beginning to have a relationship with Steve; I met him this past March while out in CO to ski. It made no sense whatsoever to pursue a relationship, as I live in St. Louis, but any form of contact from him had me acting like a schoolgirl! It provided lots of entertainment for my co-workers to see me jumping up & down with joy when he agreed to come out and visit. He was the only guy that qualified to meet my daughter & my two best friends. This hurts so deeply because I thought this might turn into something really special & I can only hope it was reciprocal. That handsome man made a huge impact in my life. However, I know that this is only a small degree of what you, his friends and family, must be feeling and going through. My thoughts and prayers go out to you as you move through your grief.
Love, Donna |
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Posted by: Tom - Volleyball of the Rockies
"We are not athletes, we are volleyball players!" Mental Blocks, 1995
The volleyball family in Denver is a special community and we lost a member of that family last week. The Memorial Service for Steve Kertscher will be held this Saturday, July 15, 2006 at 2pm at the Dillon Community Church, 371 La Bone Street, Dillon Colorado, 80435.
Steve was an integral part of the Volleyball Of The Rockies (VOTR) family in the early years. He played many a season of Wednesday grass fours on The Mental Blocks team at City of Brest Park. I am sure many of the old timers remember the Gary Block's Teams which included Kevin Higgins, Robin Hollman, June Schmidt, Thad Schetnan, Chris Hendrickson, and Brenda Swedlund to name a few. There were many a Wednesday night spend at Governor's Park Restaurant after Wednesday Night Grass Leagues telling stories, doing stupid human tricks for a cheap T-shirt, or planning that weekend's team assault on one of Colorado's fourteeners.
For those of you who played in that era and knew Steve, he was always positive, on and off the court and enriched the lives of those around him. For those who did not know Steve, these are the types of events in life that remind us how fragile life can be and how important it is to live every day to the fullest, love those around, smell the roses and pass a few more volleyballs.
We have an incredibly special network of friends as a result of a sport we all love. Our thoughts and prayers go out today to Steve's family and friends.
Sincerely, Tom Davenport
PS. Like many of you, I have a small stack of "memories" that have accumulated over the years. Every now and then, you page through the stack, smile and remember. I took a moment today and pulled two 11 year old photographs of Steve and the Mental Blocks. The photographs came along with their 1995 Grass Registration form and a note that read:
Top 10 Reasons our team deserves to play at City of Brest Park:
10 We Like It
9 We/ve been in the league 5+ years, 4 on the hills of Brest Park
8 We won our year ending tourney last fall
7 It's just across the street from Shotgun Willys and we don"t want to miss THAT action
6 When we get sweaty at Brest, we can take a dip in Cherry Creek
5 The Trees are sooo nice.
4 We already know our way home from there.
3 Babes Dig It (Brest Park that is)
2 Veterans park is right next to the police station and you probably don't want our team giving them a bad impression about your league
1 WE WON STEAMBOAT DAMN IT!!!!!!!
Thanks Steve! You will be missed. TD
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Posted by: Jana Huntsman
To All,
First of all, thank you Gary for creating this web-site. This is a wonderful outlet for all of us to express our emotions and share our memories.
I did not have the privilege of knowing Steve for as long as many of you but my memories are very much the same. Curt introduced me to Steve shortly after we starting dating and I always looked forward to seeing him and hearing about his latest adventures. He often ridiculed me for dating Curt. Oh, how he made me laugh. Curt and I have spent many a day with him, skiing, hiking, snowshoeing and/or just hanging out. I have so many wonderful memories of Steve and I am grateful for all the times that he shared with me. One of my favorite memories was the day we hiked Evans (Steve and Al’s last 14’er). At the summit gourmet meals and champagne must of appeared to be abundant as a tourist who drove to the top asked us “Where’s the snack bar?” We all roared with laughter and you can only imagine the wise cracks that followed. I also had the privilege of seeing Steve’s softer side too. The summer Steve had is accident we became parents to a 10 week old yellow lab. Steve had been in the hospital for a week or so and we snuck Jackson (our new puppy) into the hospital. Jackson proceeded to curl up in Steve’s arms for an afternoon siesta. The two of them looked so at peace. When it was time to go Steve didn't want us to take Jackson, he looked up at me with the most sincere eyes and said thank you this is the most relaxed I have felt in weeks.
Steve, I know you are in a better place now but it's still hard to let you go. Curt and I will be climbing Mt Sneffels this weekend and please know we will be thinking of you the entire way. We love and miss you!
Jana
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Posted by: Ariell Lindsten
I had the pleasure of working with Steve at WestStar Bank from June of 2003 to January of 2005. I kept in touch with Steve after leaving the bank to go back to college full-time. I didn't know Steve very long, but in that short time he definitely made an impact on my life.
Steve and I took to eachother right away, as I too grew up in South Dakota (Sioux Falls). We talked about USD (where Steve went) and SDSU (where I completed my freshman year from 2000-2001). I had finished part of my sophomore year in 2003 at Colorado Mountain College in Summit County prior to coming to work for WestStar full-time. I took the job until I could decide where to move to finish my four-year degree since I couldn't do that in the beautiful mountains. I started seriously looking into colleges in the spring of 2004. Steve was very supportive of my decision to go back and finish my bachelor's degree. He offered me a lot of encouragement. I decided on Metropolitan State College of Denver, which shares a campus with University of Colorado, Denver. Steve told me he had gotten his master's there and reinforced my decision by telling me I would be happy there and would like the campus. He also told me he knew Metro had a good basketball team. :)
When it came time for me to move to Denver in August of 2004, Steve did a lot more things to help me. He knew I was looking for a place and got me in touch with a friend of his that had a basement level apartment for rent. He also gave me a queen size bed for free that I had been telling him he should just try to sell before I knew I'd be moving (which I still have and use). I offered to pay him for the bed and of course it was not an option. I remember the morning my parents and I pulled up to his place to pick it up. He was getting ready to climb a 14er, but he waited and helped us load the bed into my dad's truck. It proved to be tricky because my dad has a topper on his truck that gets narrower at the top. Steve started whipping bungee cords out of his garage and was determined to get us on our way without fear of the bed falling out!
Steve had such a kind heart. I was always touched by the genuine interest he showed when asking about myself and others. I loved working at WestStar so much that I still commuted to work on Friday and Saturday in Dillon after moving to Denver for several months.
I remember Steve's and I's shared interest in music and particular bands. I burned him some cd's and he was kind enough to return the favor and burn me one of his favorite cd's. I remember stopping into the bank a couple times late at night to say hi when I'd catch him there working on things. I remember subjecting him to cake and singing on his 4oth birthday in the bank lobby even though he did not seem thrilled. I had run the errand earlier in the morning to pick up the golf gift certificate the bank employees chipped in to buy. I remember one night I called him and he joined me and a friend for a margarita at the short lived Mexico restaurant right by his place -- we talked about mojitos. I too remember Steve's often crossed arms, and the expression "Is that right?" with his little smile. Steve was also a good source to come to when I had car trouble - we both drove the exact same SUV make and model.
Steve and I kept in touch mostly through email and when I would stop in the bank to say hello when in town. His last email to me was fairly recently and asking about if I had checked out any good concerts in Denver. I am so sad that he is gone. I also feel sad that he might not have ever realized how much he meant to me and how much I appreciated him. I was blessed to know him, I just wish I could have told him.
I didn't know any of Steve's friends or family outside of the bank. I am glad I could share with you the side of Steve I saw and show you how his caring and kindness still managed to touch the heart of a girl like me. Thank you.
Love,
ARIELL
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Posted by: Anita Villars
I remember the first time I met Steve. It was St. Patrick's day in 1995 and I was at the Emerald Isle (an old hole-in-the-wall down to earth place) on Parker road with some friends. Steve was dressed in a business suit and he was laughing and smiling and carrying on with some of his friends. We were immediately drawn to him because he was someone you just had to get to know - he was glowing with happiness. My friends and I had a lot of fun with him that night just laughing and talking and enjoying Jolly Demis who was performing there (Steve raved about him). Two nights later I was at Rock Bottom in Denver and it was that night that I met my husband Doug. As I was talking with Doug he said he wanted to introduce me to a good friend of his - low and behold it was Steve! We hugged like we had already known eachother for years because that's the way Steve made you feel. From then on I tagged along with Doug, Steve, Gordo and the "gang" to various parties, events and happy hours at Rock Bottom. Doug and I had a small wedding in September of 1996 and being one of our closest friends, Steve was there to share in our joy. We continued to see him from time to time until we had our first child in 1999 and then our time spent with him began to dwindle as it did with other old friends too. We saw him again while he was in the hospital after his accident and we always kept in touch but I wish we would have spent more time with him because he was such a wonderful person. Although we had our second child shortly after and became consumed with our day to day life, I regret now not taking more time to see how he was doing. If I could go back I would have made an effort to visit him more and help him through his tough times like so many of you did. He was so fortunate to have so many wonderful friends like you. The last time we saw Steve was a little over a year ago. He made the trip up to our home in Superior for Doug's surprise 40th birthday party. Like many of you have commented, he was a true friend and would always be there for you.
Last month my family and I were up in Dillon camping and I thought about calling him to see if we could visit with him for a bit. I didn't call because we were tired and now I regret not calling because we will never get the chance again.
Yesterday we were at Steve's memorial service and it was a very heart wrenching and emotional day. When we came home my 6 year old son gave me some comforting words. He said "Mommy, I know you and Daddy are very sad about losing your friend Steve, but even though he is not here on earth his spirit is with you all the time in your heart. And I bet he is making a lot of new friends up in heaven right now." I hope those words bring some comfort to others in this time of sadness. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of his friends and family.
Anita Villars
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Posted by: Susan Kimball
Hi everyone, I hope you don’t mind that Gordo forwarded this on to me. I am so very sad about this. I just moved back to Colorado two weeks ago and so wish I would have had a chance to talk to Steve. I was hoping to catch up and hike with him again.
We had many great times together – I actually finished Mt Massive with him one time, the hardest 14er I’ve done – he always kicked my butt, but I wasn’t going to fail and be a “girl”. One time, I can’t remember the 14er, but we were hiking one and he made it to the top but I didn’t (by only about 10 min) but had to turn around due to lightening. He would not let me count that as doing the 14er (which I’m sure you all agree with!) but I of course secretly told my friends I did it.
We had a great time when we went to see his family in S.D. – got to hike with his nieces/nephew – they had much more energy than us old folks! It was also loads of fun playing pinochle with his Mom and Dad – his mom and I were partners and we got mad at Steve and his dad because they were such “play by the rules” people!
If my lungs and legs are up for the memorial 14er in Aug, I’d love to do it.
I feel very blessed that I had the chance to know and love Steve and to get to know you through Steve as well. I truly feel his spirit is still here with us and he’ll be there protecting us on our next mountain climbs.
Love to all, Susan |
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Posted by: Dora Winter
As many of you, I have had the pleasure over the years of climbing 14’ers, camping, skiing, rock climbing, and fishing with Steve.
Last night Al and I took out all of our pictures of our trips with Steve and reminisced. Our last greatest adventure with Steve was going to the Boundary Waters. Al and I had a BBQ this past Saturday, June 8th, where we were sharing the slides of our trip with friends. Steve had us rolling with laughter telling his version of the fishing trip, and his bitterness toward Al and I on catching all the fish that week, and not being able to identify them. Plus we were using pink lures!!!! Every time we caught a fish, which was quite often, we would hold it up and yell over to Steve, “what kind is this one”. Steve would just shake his head and row further away from us on the lake. I think in that whole week Steve only caught 1 or 2 – although he did manage to get a tooth of a fish in his thumb, as Bob Otto noted. Steve and his Uncle Keith had about a month’s worth of pancakes, syrup, and boxed mashed potatoes with them for five days of camping. It was hilarious watching them two prepare their meals!!! And, of course, lots of candy!!! Steve loved his candy, and loaded up his kayak every morning with candy that was within arms reach as we rowed across the lakes. Al and I would come across a candy wrapper every now and then, either on the trail or in the water, and knew that we would find Steve not too far ahead. Although Steve said they were his Uncle Keith’s wrappers. We had such a great time!!!
Saturday night after the BBQ Steve insisted that Al and I play pac man with him; to see who could get the highest score. I played until 2:30 AM and had to go to bed. Steve and Al played until 4:00 AM. I had to shut the garage door as they were having too much fun – at the expense of the neighbors getting any sleep. Steve spent the night, and myself, Al, and Robert were able to spend a portion of Sunday with Steve playing more pac man and eating leftover BBQ. When Steve left, I went into the room where he had slept and cursed under my breath because he didn’t make his bed, but also had to laugh at the condition the bed was left in. Al and I refer to the Murphy bed as “Steve’s” bed. So, I made the bed and folded it back up into the wall for Steve’s next visit, which will now never be.
The e-mail we all received Monday morning was very hard to take and understand, especially after just having spent Saturday and Sunday with Steve and having lots of laughs. There are things that will always remind me of Steve such as ham, mountain dew, skittles, M&M’s, and Rice Krispie bars. I will truly miss him. I am fortunate that I have the memories that I do of the great times we spent on our adventures. I will pray for us all, the friends and family members Steve left behind, to help us get through this difficult time.
Love, Dora |
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Posted by: Robert Reichenberger
I had the pleasure of meeting Steve in the mid '90s while we were both getting our MBA at the University of Colorado at Denver. I would see him at class then would run into him also out on the town in Denver. We soon began spending time together at Friday happy hours at Rock Bottom and also playing volleyball.
Some of my fondest memories of Steve were playing volleyball in Wash Park on Saturday or Sunday afternoons with Thad, June, Gary and the crew. Also, the Halloween and 5280 club parties were great, and as Gordo mentioned the cow udder costume had me in stitches. Steve was such a good friend to me and was also great a making new friends. Once I convinced him to accompany me on a trip to Austin to watch K-State play Texas in football. On the first night, we befriended an ex-Texas quarterback from the early 90's. We hung out with his group the rest of the weekend and had a great time. Steve could make new friends easily in any situation...I always admired that about him.
The last big trip that we took together was to the Blues and Brews Festival in Telluride last fall. I have attached a picture from this trip.
We had planned at some point to attend the Kentucky Derby, the Worlds Greatest Cocktail Party (Florida vs. Georgia football game in Jacksonville), go pheastant hunting in South Dakota and go on a scuba trip. I regret that we will now not be able to take these trips together.
Steve was a great friend and he will always have a special place in my heart. He was like a brother to me. He was always able to tell me when I was being a jerk or doing someting stupid. I always appreciated that honesty.
Thank you all for sharing your stories about Steve. I have truly enjoyed reading them. Robert
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Posted by: Mike and Trudy Rowe
I had countless great times with Steve during college and while roommates in Colorado Springs. He was simply one of the most fun, honest, loyal friends I have ever had. Even though we lost touch over the past several years, I already miss him greatly.
If my memory wasn't so bad, I could probably write a book of great Kertscher memories. Of course the stories are poking fun at him, since we generally just gave each other grief all the time.
Before the stories, do you think he holds the world record for 14ers climbed in high-top red Air Jordans?
When I saw the email from one of his friends earlier today it mentioned several foods that Steve enjoyed. I was shocked not to see Egg & Cheese sandwiches dipped in a vat of ketchup on there. He had to eat those 5 nights a week. With a side of potato chips, each meticulously licked until devoid of any salt.
Steve, the deer hunter
After you had moved to Boulder, Steve and I were still living in the same complex in Rockrimmon that the 3 of us lived in (remember Colonel Crater, our landlord - sounds like a character from Clue). Steve went deer hunting in the mountains. He gets back at around 9 PM and tells me he bagged a deer. I ask him if he took it to a meat market or something to get butchered and he tells me they were closed already. SO HE HAS IT IN HIS CAR IN OUR PARKING LOT! He was just going to deal with it the next day. I called Trudy who had a house and said he could hang it in there overnight. When he gets to Trudy's house and pulls out this little deer, we figured out how it fit so easily in his vehicle. Trudy's immediate reaction was You shot Bambi! Steve just sheepishly looks at her and says, Yeah, it's a little small, but it's the only one I saw.
I will see you on Saturday.
Mike Rowe
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Posted by: Cory Skluzak
[Below is a letter to my sister and provides a glimpse of Steve's first few years in Colorado after college graduation.]
Shelly,
You asked for some background information on how I came to know Steve. I thought I would elaborate a bit and send out to the distribution list as well.
I met Steve in 1986. (You might recall that even though we grew up about 70 miles apart and were contemporaries at the University of South Dakota, I didn't meet him until he had moved to Colorado Springs.) He had graduated from USD in May of that year and, as one of his college buddies – Jerry Crouse – reminded us this week, then went up to Seward, Alaska to work in one of the canneries on Kodiak Island. To my recollection, they slept in an empty crab tank out on the docks until they got kicked out and then they slept in a dirt void underneath a house! [Isn't that the way the story went, Jerry?] A real Jack London story - one of many authors that Steve loved (Hemingway, Louis L'Amour and Zane Grey being others).
Steve moved to Colorado Springs looking for a job in 1986 and was roommates with a college buddy, Mike Rowe, who was a new accountant at Deloitte. Steve's first job in the Springs was as the chief (and only) accountant for a small discount carpet place ("O' Brien's?") where he was given the somewhat lofty title of "Comptroller", which we unceasingly needled him about.
It was either in late '86 or 1987 that the three of us became roommates at the Rockrimmon townhouse complex in Colorado Springs and many good times and much hilarity ensued. It was there that you visited us. My room was next to Steve's spartan room which contained a weight bench, a nightstand and a sleeping bag on the floor. (Steve didn't have much money then and his dinner diet primarily consisted of hot dogs, ketchup, bread and big wedges of cheese. And Mountain Dew. And skittles. Always the skittles.) Steve got unending glee when I would come into his room and lift weights with my stretchable dress gloves as weight gloves - which he though dainty and not sufficiently manly enough. Steve also taught me to play tennis there and he was highly entertained as I would break out into loud, colorful and long strings of profanity as he regularly thrashed me in 6 - 0 sets. I also remembered many hours sitting in the community hot tub where Steve would engage in conversation with everyone and would befriend. This townhouse community had several elderly people and Steve became friends with them as well with a special one being someone we called "The Mayor".
Although Steve didn't work at Deloitte he soon knew almost everyone there and became good friends and golfing mates with quite a few of the accountants there. Some of these were Curt Hudek, Dave Bunkers, Alan Ugai, Todd Sherrill, Mick Homan, Mike Ruebenson, Guy Childs, Steve Wethor, Chris Law, Dave Travaille, Erin Pier, Dennis Scruggs, Dana and many more Springs-based South Dakotans.
You might recall that quite a few of us at Deloitte - 20 or so at one time - hailed from USD and, thus, we were a tight expatriate South Dakota group. We traveled as a pack and went to many a party, the Golden Bee down at the Broadmoor, Murphy's on Nevada Avenue, numerous ski trips to Monarch Resort, Air Force Academy football games and Colorado College hockey games (to which we had season tickets to both). Literally, a lifetime of memories packed into about 3 years or so.
After I left Deloitte in April, 1988, Steve, Dave Travaille, I, and several others did many Fourteeners that summer. Also, Steve, Garner Anderson, Dell and I did an epic road trip that summer to Chicago to watch the Cubs, White Sox and Brewers up in Milwaukee as well as go to Second City Comedy, the Art Museum, and on and on. What a fantastic trip that was and Steve - who always prided himself on his map-reading and directional skills - was confounded most of the trip by Chicago and was quite perturbed that he could never tell if we were going North or South, East or West. We went to Chicago again a year or so later and saw the White Sox play some of their last games in the old Comiskey stadium.
Steve visited me many times up in Boulder and went to several of the CU football games during the "glory" run from 1988 to 1990. In fact the very first CU football game that I attended was with Steve in the fall of 1988 when CU lost to Oklahoma in the last few minutes when Keith Jackson caught an amazing sideline catch. Steve was a huge Sooners fan and had no problem standing up in applauding his team amidst some seething Buffs fans. Steve met many of my law school buddies, and, of course, became good friends with them as well - Juan Otero, Joe Schroeter, Dennis Powers, Ron Claeys, Greg Sopkin, Deanna Zamora, as well as Boulder friends such as Catherine Le Roi (Kevin not yet on the scene), Alan and Patty, Sean Maher, Steve "Beanhead" Wilson and many more. Many good times, backpack trips, concerts at the Boulder Theatre (the "Subdudes" were a favorite band) and Fourteeners were done with this group as well.
In one’s life you only get a few best friends, and Steve was that to me; but then so many of these people e-mailing their memories would say the same of Steve. What a wonderful tribute to him. Steve and I shared so many ups and downs, sporting events, hiking and climbing adventures, etc. that his presence was an integral part of my life. As Al Knepper stated, he was like a brother. I miss my friend tremendously and hope and pray that we will all meet him again.
Take care, Cory
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Posted by: Alan Knepper
I met Steve through my friend Robert who went to graduate schools with Steve in the 1990s. Shortly, after meeting him I was invited for a mountain bike ride near Buffalo creek with Steve and Cory, followed by lunch and beers at the Bucksnort. While at lunch, Cory hit Steve in the chest while he was drinking water, so Steve sprayed is mouth full of water at Cory.............I knew without a doubt these are my kind of people!
I was soon welcomed into the "South Dakota Group", where I felt immediately attached, since I was from the "Iowa Group".
I had also started hiking 14ers, and got to join Cory and Steve on many of these climbs. Because we felt we needed to climb higher we went together on climbs to Mexico, and Europe. Where we had a blast whether we made it to the summits or not.
We continued to hike, camp, ski, climb, and celebrate. Which, matured into me having a key to his house in Dillon for me to use anytime I wanted, and for him to have a key for my house in Denver for him to use when he was here. I spoke with him weekly, and many times daily about whatever I need help with, in fact he was the person that I went to to hold onto something if I needed it for safekeeping.
This last Saturday Steve came to my house for a BBQ to celebrate Dora's graduation, and my completion of building a garage with many of his friends. We stayed up til the wee hours of the morning trying to beat each other on the video game that Robert had brought over to the BBQ. He stayed over, and the next day Robert, Steve, and I sat around eating leftover BBQ, and talking until he left to go golfing with yet another friend of his. I spoke with him on the phone Sunday evening, where he said he'd stop by on Wednesday on his way to the airport to pick up some clothes that he'd left behind. I told me how much he was looking forward to this trip to be at his mothers 65th Birthday party.
It rips my heart out to lose this close friend that I would consider my adopted brother.
I sure wish you had shown up yesterday on your way to the airport. AL......
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Posted by: Juan Otero
I met Steve through my then law school room mate Cory Skluzak. Steve quickly became a fixture at our parties and other gatherings and became a friend. The thing that stands out the most from my memories of him is sense of humor and cheerfulness.
After we finished our legal studies Cory and I continued to be room mates for a while and Steve still was a fixture around our household. I also remember his constant statements about being "buffed" in reference to his weight-lifting prowess.
I also took pleasure in annoying Steve. For example, I would try to mess up his always impeccably combed hair.
Sometimes during lunch, if I was in the neighborhood, I would go by his office at the bank in Denver. It was amusing to me that he sat at his desk with his back so straight. Since he sat with his back toward the window (at street level) I would sometimes just stand there until he noticed my presence and then we would both bust out laughing.
We would also greet each other by yelling "DUDE!!" at the top of our lungs.
The last time I saw Steve was a number of years ago during a visit with my wife. We all went skiing at Breckenridge. Sadly, that was the last time I saw Steve.
He will forever be part of our lives and memories.
Juan |
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Posted by: Thad Schetnan
To all,
My wish is that we will all be remembered by Steve as FRIENDS, I know that I considered him one of my closest. Since my wife and I moved back to SD, I have failed to keep in contact with him except for my unexpected and far too brief stops at his bank or home when on my bike trips. For me, his folded arms and deep authoritative voice we be remembered by me forever. The Little Bear after our adventures could never be topped and I always knew it was going to be a great day of volleyball, mountian biking, skiing etc…when Steve arrived.He could make a dull and mundane event into a light-hearted and always fun, laugh till-you-hurt event. My prayers and sympathy go out to all Steve's family and friends.
My Friend I will never understand, I pray for you, we will meet again.
God bless, we love you.
Thad |
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Posted by: Dario Duque
Hi All, This is obviously very surreal and weird for me. I've been going through different emotions for the past few days. Anywhere from being pissed off to laughing about the fun times that Steve and I had together. I'm sure you are all having similar reactions to this truly senseless act.
I worked directly for Steve for 1 year at the Bank and have known him now for about 2 years. During that time we became close friends. We shared similar interests in music, partying and our general love for the outdoors. Steve was 13 yrs. my senior. I looked up to him in many ways. I found myself in his office and him in mine talking about life more so then business at times. I always had great respect for how he lived his life and the morals and convictions that he carried with himself daily.
Steve got a kick out of my crazy dating stories and had many laughs at my expense. Looking back I can just see him now in his office totally cracking up and me having to shut his door to not disturb the rest of the bank. One time we were in Denver having a great time. I met this girl and we hit it off. During the night sometime I was giving her a piggy back ride and started to run down the sidewalk. Worst case scenario, happened! I tripped and took a header on the side walk with my arms behind me holding her legs and the weight of her on my back. Needless to say my face was scuffed up pretty good. We had a good laugh on our way back up the hill.
Monday morning I roll into the bank and the tellers took one look at me a said "Good Weekend??? What the heck happened to you?" right after that all I heard was the classic Kertch laugh roaring from his office.
One thing that I could always do was make him laugh from one of my crazy stories.
I did have the pleasure of sharing a beer with Steve one last time on Thursday.
I'm truly saddened that we have all lost such a great person in our lives. Dario
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Posted by: Patrick
Watching this e-mail string has just amazed me, and reading everything for the past couple of days has put a smile on my face, and also a tear in my eye. First the smile, it shows just how much everybody loved this crazy, red headed guy from a small town in SD. The tear, how much everybody is going to miss this gentle giant.
I first met Steve while working at Colorado State Bank in 1996. He knew instantly I was not a big city boy. I had come from northern Minnesota city of 4000 in August of 96', mainly to have my future wife attend law school at, what Steve called a sub-par school, DU. (At least to me, not the wife) From our first meeting in the lunch room, I knew Steve would be the kind of friend you hope to meet once in a lifetime. The kind of guy that would do anything, go anywhere, and just be there when you needed something. Steve may have been the most selfless guy I ever met. I remember calling him up 5 years ago, wondering if he wanted to get together on a Saturday afternoon, after not talking to him for a month, and him telling me about his accident. Still in shock, asking what I could do, and him telling me, take care of your new born daughter and not worry about me. I remember making trips up to Dillon to sitting with Steve during his rehab and playing 50 games of cribbage a day, laughing, crying and screaming at him, mainly for trying to cheat. I still remember him calling my wife and telling her we forgot a baby bottle at the house, and him joking that was the best milk he ever tasted, until being informed it was formula. I remembering planning a trip to Minnesota promising him countless walleyes, and showing what "gods country" meant, but those trips and dreams will never come true. I think back a year ago year when he called and asked if I wanted to go into the boundary waters with a group of "good guys", him saying here is your chance to show off your state, I said no, because of the birth of your second baby. I told him we needed to get together soon, but every time I came to Colorado, he was off on another adventure. I guess soon will never come in this lifetime. Four year ago my family moved back to Minnesota to be closer to family. If I knew what I know today, I wonder how I coul d have ever left my beloved adopted state. (Colorado) Steve told me I would regret the day I moved, at our moving party, at about 5 AM. He always spoke from the heart and was a straight shooter, never sugarcoating anything. Our friendship lead us to many different paths, from the golf course, to skiing, to fishing, to the pool table. He loved his Steelers, his Rockies, CU, (which I still don't understand) his Kentucky Wildcats, and South Dakota State Jackrabbits, half for the name, and half for Adam Vinatti. (sp) I will miss Steve greatly, miss his witty e-mails and bizarre phone calls.
This last week has hit me like a ton of bricks, wondering what I could have done, what I could have read in his weekly, and daily e-mails to stop this act, but it comes back to the same thing, I could do nothing, like all of us we were helpless, because if he wanted any of us to help, we would have been there for him. I have hated Steve since being notified by the Dillion Police, I have questioned Steve for his action, but when it is all said and done, I will love Steve for just being Steve, and miss him dearly. God bless Steve!
I will think of everybody on this e-mail as a true friend-
Patrick |
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Posted by: Tim Jares
Thanks for the message. It is no doubt a senseless tragedy. I wish there was something anyone of us could have done to prevent it and, I expect like all of you, I’ve been going over it in my mind trying to think of what I could have done.
Some of you may know that my son Mitchell (11) and I spent Friday night with Steve and were planning on climbing Pacific Peak on Saturday morning.
Unfortunately, the weather had a different plan. We drove out and sat in his truck in the rain for about an hour hoping it would clear up. We decided to pass on it that day – we had planned to do it again in a few weeks. I guess I kind of wish we’d made that climb in the rain now.
Last summer my son Mitchell (was 10 then), Steve, and I hiked Mount Quandary. For Mitch and me, it was our first Fourteener. It was very memorable for us and since that trip my computer desktop has been a picture of the three of us on the summit.
I’ve included a few pics from that hike. Steve has shown me many pics from hikes that he went on with many of you. I enjoyed them all.
His wry smile never failed to make me smile. He was simply a great guy and a great friend to us all.
Tim Jares |
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Posted by: David Bunkers
One story that I recall (and Rowe may share it) but he and Rowe lived over off of Rockrimmon Blvd they were sitting around watching Sports Center and the room was dead silent in true non-communicative male fashion. Steve was probably eating some of those healthy pork rinds that he loved. Out of nowhere Steve's first endearing comment to Mike was "Hey, I had soup today." I never forget that story and told my wife about it many years ago and she uses that line to me whenever I am not making any sense. So Steve in a roundabout way is still sharing his humor and wit with us.
Kertsch (when he lived in Colorado Springs) was a guy I could call to play golf anytime and would play. I remember having way too many adult beverages with him, especially at Erin Weller (Pier) parties. He took a lot of kidding around (nicknaming him “Copper” and “Brillopad Hair”) and always exhibited a great sense of humor.
Certainly convey to his family and friends that the world is a lesser place without him and that we will keep them and Steve in our prayers. I was fortunate to have had a friendship with him.
Sorry I cannot make it to the service but I definitely will be thinking of him on Saturday.
Regards, Dave
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Posted by: Bud Doyle
I am overwhelmed with sadness. I had known Kertch for over 10 years and I can not put into words what his friendship meant to me.
I played Golf with Steve this past Sunday at Park Hill in the pouring rain and we had an absolute blast!!! At one point he even asked me on the second hole as we were driving in the cart in the rain if we wanted to keep score. Meanwhile, the scorecard was completely drenched. I just laughed and we proceeded to play the rest of the day in the pouring rain without any knowledge whatsoever of how many shots we had hit. Golfing was completely secondary to just catching up with a good friend on each others lives. We also joked that who needs to go to Scotland or Ireland for a Golf Trip when we have Park Hill in our own backyard (in the pouring rain!!) It was one of the most fun golf days I have ever had and we kidded that we would be talking about this round of golf and laughing about it for years to come.
We also went to Benny's for dinner (his first trip ever!!) and I teased him mercilessly for never having been there, and told him between ribbing each other that Las Margaritas was a mockery of a Mexican restaurant. I always felt there was not enough hours in the day to catch up on all the things I wanted to catch up with him on when we were hanging out.
We laughed a ton and it was so good to catch up with him on each other's lives. I had spent Friday night with him, Robert and Kenny at Rock Bottom and we talked about so many future plans together, including Widespread Panic at Winter Park for Kenny's Bachelor Party, and begging him to take me to Austin on his and Robert's next College Football Weekend.
I remember vividly saying goodbye to him outside of my condo on Sunday at 6:00 p.m. The biggest regret I have is that I didn't tell him how much I loved him and how thankful I was for his incredible friendship to me for the last 10+ years.
He was one of the best friends anybody can ask for and there is no way to describe the sadness and loss that I feel.
I will be there tomorrow.
Love, Bud |
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Posted by: Bob Otto
I remember the first time I met Steve in the Boulder fields on Longs Peak (hiking up to the campsite in the dark as was sometimes his habit) on one of the annual Longs Peak climbs organized by Gordo some years ago. Shortly after the Longs climb, Steve and I teamed up and climbed 4 peaks in the San Juan's on a Memorial Day Weekend, the beginning of a great friendship.
I also remember the last time I was with Steve was over at his house with Al laughing at our fotos of our just completed week canoe trip in the Minnesota boundary waters in September last year. In this foto, Al caught a whopping Northern Pike and Steve came over to remove the beast from the hook. The fish chomped on Steve's hand leaving a bloody gash on Steve's thumb and a tooth embedded in his glove. Steve's uncle was performing first aid on his hand in the foto. With our strange sense of humor all thought this experience was quite funny. We had a such a great trip and we wanted to repeat annually. The trip would not be the same without Steve. Dam It Steve, you left us way to early!!!!!!!
On August 12th I plan to climb my last Colorado 14neer to celebrate Steve's life, his love for the mountains and the outdoors, and to celebrate and be thankful for the precious life we have. Fittingly the peak is Mount of the Holy Cross and anybody willing to join in this memorial climb is more then welcome to join. If interested let me know by Email as I am over in Europe for some months and will be returning August 7th (have no phone).
Bob Otto
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Posted by: Gordon Christian
I just wanted to say I wish my friend could hear me one more time. I would tell him how important he was to me and how he provided an abundance of joy in my life. From all the Buff Games to all the baseball games we attended together. We could always count on seeing a plethera of friends like Bob, Bud or Robert. All of the great food we eat together and all of the girls we chased away. Steve was the absolute worst wing man I ever had out on patrol. But, I could always count on 2 or 3 good belly laughs everytime I saw him.
The time Steve managed to get us seats in the left field bleachers the day that Ryan Sandburg retired. Steve did not get to sit next to Ryan Sandburg but 3 of his friends did. He made us all laugh that day until we abandoned him with no money in the streets of Chicago. Some of us wound up with our pictures in Ryan's autobiography. Sorry Greg that Doug's head blocked you out.
I remember the hiking trip when we went with Steve over Arapahoe pass to Caribou Lake when the Skluzak brother's introduced me to the term HAFE and how I became the crown prince of HAFE...well it was me or Cory.
I remember the holloween parties when Steve proudly showed off his Cow outfit complete with utters. Al your Eyeball costume is still my favorite costume of all times.
I also remember climbing 14ers with him. He was a much better hiker then I was but he always was good about ridiculing me until my anger drove me all the way to the top. We climbed Mt Elbert 1 day and Mt Massive the next. Curt I think you were the only one that summitted Mt Massive. On the way home we stopped by the Little Bear. The next day my legs hurt so bad that I had a hard time lifting myself up over the curb of the sidewalk.
I wish Steve could have realized that we all make mistakes and life with him was much more enjoyable then life without him.
But all of my wishes are not going to bring him back and that makes me very sad. I truly loved Steve I wish he could have loved himself enough to prevent this senseless tragedy from taking place.
I will spend time wondering if I could have done something to prevent this incident from happening.
I would also welcome an opportunity to hear some of your favorite stories about Steve. I would hate to remember Steve only this way. Please help me hang onto the Steve that was awesome.
Everyone on this list was obviously very important to Steve. I wish all of you well. Thank you Tom for letting me know what happened. Thank you Tom for doing so much to help...your strength in this situation is amazing.
Gordon Christian
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Posted by: Guy Childs
I knew Steve during his days in Colorado Springs as Mike Rowe's and Cory Skluzak's roomate. We shared a South Dakota heritage and I enjoyed re-engaging my mediocre tennis game at the Rockrimmon apartments' tennis courts with Steve. Of course, he was wearing his trademark Air Jordan's. He was such an easy guy to like. I also marveled at his ability to keep life simple, from his spartan bedroom in Colorado Springs described in Cory's note -- to his diet described by many others who have posted -- to his ability to easily become a friend with anyone he came into contact with -- and to his "old school" outlook on life.
One of my memories of Steve involve a cookout at my wife Tammy and I's apartment. Steve offered to bring the meat which happened to be an elk that he had bagged on one of his mountain hunting expeditions. I recall he and I going to great lengths to prepare the elk with the appropriate tenderizer and seasonings and joking about his manly accomplishment in bagging this wild beast.
Well, the preparation did not exactly yield the results we expected. After the painstaking preparation, we lost track of time as the elk was being grilled. As you might expect, there isn't enough tenderizer in the world to compensate for cooking the elk two or three times longer than it should have been. I can still hear Steve's contagious laugh.
We all benefited from knowing Steve. He was quick to laugh (loudly) and always looking out for everybody around him.
I found myself laughing out loud as I read the collective memories of Steve. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Steve.
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Posted by: Lisa
Today I was finally able to go through my pictures and find those with Steve in them and all sorts of memories came flooding back. I was fortunate enough to have 'married into' friendship with Steve. I was dating Robert and met Steve one of the first events we went to as a "dating couple" (I think a party at Al's). As with all of you, he was an instant friend. Steve always seemed to be at those parties that were the most fun, or rather I think he helped to make the party lively and fun! Between Steve and Gordo I was always guaranteed lots of laughter! They were both in our wedding (as was Al) and between the '4-stooges' the day was lots of fun! Steve and Gordo had my Grandma and my Godmother rolling with laughter. Until the day she died, my Godmother would ask about 'that lovely Steve'!
Although I have lots of great party memories, one of my favorite times with Steve was a little more mellow. Rob and I had a party at our house that was wrapping up. Several of us (Steve included) were standing, or sitting on the counters, in the kitchen. My little dogs (Skipper and Gilligan) were just exhausted from all the party activity and Steve picked up Skipper and gently held him allowing Skipper to fall asleep in his arms. Steve then gave Skipper the sweetest little kiss. It was a glimpse in the the soul of a gently, loving, compassionate, caring person. I will always keep that picture in my heart.
My second favorite time was that same night after everyone else departed, Steve, Rob and I decided to go hear a local band. Rob jumped in the back seat and promptly passed out. Steve and I cranked the music and it was that Sheryl Crow-Kid Rock duet and we giggle and sang very loudly to this stupid song over and over all the way to old town Fort Collins. Silly and wry I know, but again it was just one of those silly moments that makes your heart sing.
Steve always wrote the sweetest 'thank you' notes, and I was always amazed that this guy was so good at a 'traditionally girly' task. Speaking of 'girly', one time Steve joined us to celebrate a mutual friend's birthday. It turned out he was the only guy among 6 girls, and he LOVED it! He soaked in all the girly gossip and joined in the laughter and fun. Truly, Steve was comfortable and able to enjoy himself under a huge variety of circumstances! He even liked the tea and amaretto we had for dessert!!
I am praying for all of us, that we might find some blessings in all of this- even if it's simply to remember to take more pictures of friends (I wish I had!) or to call those we love more frequently. I will keep each of you in my prayers, prayers for peace and comfort, healing and strength. Lisa
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Posted by: Dave Travaille
I met Steve through a couple of my work associates (Mike Rowe and Cory Skluzak) at Deloitte in the late 80's Steve was one of my best friends. I always found him to be a pleasure to be around and my favorite hiking partner. We (Steve, myself, and on many trips my wife Connie) spent about 5 years (1989 to 1994) tromping thru Colorado's hills, climbing many 14ers, laughing and enjoying each others company in the mountains. Steve and I always said "A bad day in the mountains is better than a good day in the city". I suppose that's why he eventually moved to Summit County. Although Steve and I have lost touch in recent years, I think of him often as I drive by the peaks we climbed together.
A few of my memories.......
I remember teasing Steve about being an "accounting groupie". I often asked him if he had any friends who weren't accountants, and he always claimed he didn't. After several rounds of teasing Steve incessantly about this, I was surprised when one day he finally answered that he did. I asked him how this "new friend" made a living. He said he was a lawyer. When I asked him
what he did before he was a lawyer, he quipped without cracking a smile "He was an accountant".
Steve and I climbed Mt Shavano near Salida in August of '89. Seconds after summiting, Steve picked up a wooden fence post that had been dragged to the top by a climber far more ambitious than us and stated "This thing's buzzing!". I thought he was putting me on, until moments later, when the large boulders on the summit began buzzing in a similar fashion. Although the sky was not dark at all and their had been no sign of foul weather all morning long, we both instantly realized that we were in the path of a potential lightning bolt. We began a mad scramble off the summit, tearing past a surprised herd of mountain goats while suddenly being engulfed in corn snow, which made the downclimb awkward and slippery. When we reached the saddle, we both looked down at bloodied knees and shredded sweat pants (we couldn't afford the good stuff in those days), never having felt more in tune with the mountains around us even though every drop of adrenaline had been drained from our bodies.
Steve and I often had several hours of driving that were necessary to reach the trailhead of our next climb. During these occasions, Steve was always anxious to pop his latest mix of music he had dubbed into the cassette player. I remember traveling many miles listening to John Denver, his "Ladies of Country" tape, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, among many, many others. Often, after a few miles of hiking, Steve would break into an off-tune version (although he sang twice as well as I did) of the tunes we had listened to during the trip to the trailhead. We were often caught in mid-afternoon deluges of rain, and during these miserable slogs, Steve would always stay upbeat. Many times I remember him crooning the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's chorus of "If we're ever gonna see a rainbow, we have to stand a little rain". Right now, I know we all feel like we're in the middle of a downpour, but there's a rainbow out there somewhere.
I look forward to the privilege of meeting many of Steve's friends on Saturday.
God Bless,
Dave Travaille
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Posted by: Jerry Crouse
This is hard for me to do because I still don’t want to believe this but it has helped me reading others memories of Steve.
I met Steve in the fall of 1982 as we were both very green freshmen at USD a couple of weeks into school. We lived in the same dorm, apartment complex or house for most of the next 4 years. We became very good friends early on and had a group of friends that were close then and there are 10-12 of us that have stayed close ever since. Steve was very much a part of that group and while only a couple of us were on this e-mail distribution, everyone in that group just feels terrible about all of this. We called our intramural teams the Bar Rags and still have Bar Rag reunions every 3 years. Steve joined the group in Myrtle Beach last year and we all had a great time just retelling stories, looking at old pictures and just catching up. We always create new memories it seems with each trip and last year was no exception. Steve was walking home one night with my wife and I from a band that had been playing on the peer. As you all know, sometimes Steve would just stop to talk and strike up a conversation with people he didn’t know (always making friends). Anyway, Steve stopped, we waited for awhile and eventually decided he was having too much fun and we would see him in the morning. He made it home about 30 minutes prior to our departure for our tee time that morning, without his shoes (that is a longer story), but we got him up and he survived his round of golf.
We live in Omaha and got to see Steve 2-3 times a year either skiing, hunting, reunions, sporting events, occasionally in Omaha or at the Lake. Through that Steve met a lot of our friends and they almost instantly became his friends. There are at least a dozen families in Omaha that have been touched by Steve’s life and his friendship. He was great with my children and invariably, kids were drawn to Steve and he enjoyed being around them.
I’ve been thinking a lot the last couple of days and the memories of Steve are way to many for this e-mail but some of my favorites are his prized knitted beer can hat that he used to wear homecoming week at USD. I can picture him pretty clearly in that today 20 years later. Steve and I and a third friend did spent a summer together on Kodiak island in Alaska and while we worked hard, had crummy weather and didn’t sleep in a bed or drive a car for 4 months, we made a lot of friends, had a lot of laughs and just had a good time. The three of us did spend 2 days in a 3 man tent in Seward, Alaska waiting for a ferry to take us to Kodiak on the way in. It rained the whole time, it was cold and we were basically broke, the only ones in this small city park but we had a deck of cards, a bottle of schnapps and a lantern so it was a party. Our last week in college was when Haley’s Comet was passing by earth and the best night to watch was going to be that week and the best time was 5:30 a.m. so the 8 of us that lived together decided it would be a great idea to stay up all night playing pinnocle and finishing off a small keg of beer and then going out to see Haley’s Comet. I don’t remember ever seeing the comet, but we had fun.
I think that is the theme for me. I spend a lot of time with Steve over the years (not enough in hindsight) but I don’t ever remember having a bad time or getting in an argument or anything like that. We always had a good time whether it was skiing, playing cards, going to sporting events, hunting, hanging out at the Lake, it didn’t really matter.
I will miss Steve a lot and his memory will live with me.
I hope you are all doing OK.
Jerry Crouse |
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