LeAnn posted a symbolic gesture
Friday, January 13, 2023
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The first time I meet Steve was when he wanted to join the LASD Search and Rescue team. I was already on the team as a high risk volunteer, and in the process of going through the reserve academy to become a Reserve Deputy Sheriff. He would be filling my HRV spot, once I was sworn in.
He came on while I was spending a majority of my time away from the team in class, or at the academy. Before he even knew me, he was teasing the heck out of me calling me short stuff. Let’s clarify I’m not short, but every one next to Steve is.
One day we were asked to come clean out our SAR shed. He was asking what I was learning in the academy, and at that time it was Force Training. All 5’4” of me, was learning how to take down the big bad guys! He jokingly ran at me, I dropped him on the ground like a hot potato! He sat on the ground for a few seconds slightly stunned and laughed his deep loud belly laugh and said. “Short stuff I will never doubt you again!”
We had many call outs together, so many that I can’t remember them all. A few stick out in my mind, because of difficulty or situations.
We did body recovery together on a few downed aircraft, remember one specifically because Steve and I were the two of the three responders in the middle of a dark winter night. A plane went down in the Grapevine area, and after repelling down I ended up having to pull human remains of a man from under a plane by myself. After getting down the steep mountainside, we game planned on how to get the remarkably intact body out. Steve stood over me holding the side panels of a Cessna on his back to free the body, and we were cussing each other out and laughing at the same time. He was like “f@#$ hurry this is heavy!” And I was “your a moose, shut up and hold it!” He mumbled something back at me, I looked up and he had his flashlight shoved in his mouth so I could see better. He was mumbling “Pull, pull!” I was snapping back “I am, God damn it! I am!” We finally freed the poor soul. Wrapped him up and hauled him off that mountain. It was like a brother & sister relationship, the way we would banter in a tone most people didn’t understand. FYI laughing during traumatic events is a natural coping mechanism. We laughed a lot.
We backpacked part of the John Muir Trail along with a few other people on the team. Steve of course was teasing me at the beginning of the trip saying “short stuff go first your slowest and can lead us on a nice slow pace.” I started up the hill, glancing back from the switchbacks and realized I was at least a 1/2 mile ahead. Sat down and waited for them to catch up. High altitude was affecting two team members and Steve had a blister by the time he got up to me, I had packed moleskin and he doctored up his foot. He suffered that whole trip from those new boots. During this trip, a day or two later we finally made it to the lake we sat on a big warm boulder over looking a beautiful clear freshwater water lake full of rainbow trout. We talked, we talked about other than rescue and work, we talked about balancing life. Steve loved his family, his wife Peg, and was so proud of his girls. He felt guilty when leaving his kids to head out on a call. We talked about how volunteering your time can leave a lasting impact on them, and hoping that it would someday be a positive memory for them.
Steve had the ability to look at the best in every situation and a love for being challenged. He was gifted with the skill to look at the whole picture.
Most people remember where they were when September 11th, happened. All of us, SAR team members got the text to respond. Steve was Captain of the team then, I was Lt., we all went home to gather our gear and respond to the station. LASD was planning on sending teams to NYC. I called my mom to come watch my 3 sons because my husband was out of town on business and not able to get home. I headed to the station, and was ready, willing, and able to go. When I got to the station, Steve said, “Not so fast. You are not going!” I was so upset. I took it as another slap from being a woman in a male dominated field “no”. Then he said to me, “I need you here, we don’t know if LA is going to be the next target or not. Someone has to be here to run things if that happens.” Our team wasn’t sent after all, which turned out to be a good thing.
Steve had a way to refocus people. He was a great leader.
When I would show up at the station for a call out, if Steve was there, I would always know it was going to be a better result.
It’s been years since I’ve worked with rescue or even talked to Steve but the memories are flooding in. He was definitely one of my favorite people on this earth.
I’m sure he will catch up with his friends, family, and other SAR members that we have lost over the years in Heaven. I hope that Heaven resembles the Lakes and mountains of the Sierras, and has the desert sunrises and sunsets that Steve loved so much.
Be strong family. He made a lasting impact on many.
Heartbroken here.
LeAnn
