With great sadness, LRTC’s Technical Large Animal Rescue team lost one of their longtime members in July from complications from a tragic roadway accident while he was visiting in Utah.

Steve Colwell was the guy who was always there, the one who would drop everything to help, and would give you a sarcastic reply and a hug all at once. He responded to hundreds of horse rescue calls a year - he was always there.

Steve was also a member of Lyon County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team. Again, that’s who Steve was - a helper, one of the good guys.

Friends, teammates, and family gathered in Dayton, NV on July 30th to say their goodbyes. Many stories were shared of Steve and it was apparent that everyone held the same affection and respect for him. One particular story stood out - Steve was a big guy with a big beard, and though he was as gentle as a teddy bear and wonderful with children, he could be a little intimidating to those who didn’t know him yet. His sister told a story of one of the children in the family meeting him for the first time and worrying that she might be timid. But at first sight, she took one look at his big gray beard and proclaimed, “Santa!”. Steve was known as “Uncle Santa” from then on.

That summarizes Steve’s heart, and we share with you this photo of “Uncle Santa”. Steve, you are sorely missed.