‘It's a happy occasion’: Group dedicates bench along River Walk Trail where Steve would rest, enjoy scenery
A group of friends held an outdoor memorial a couple of weekends ago for a man known for his service to outdoor recreation and other community causes. The friends honored the memory of Steve McCombs with a new bench situated on one of the scenic spots he most enjoyed.
The few dozen Delta Junction-area residents and out-of-towners hiked up the River Walk Trail on a cloudy and cool Saturday morning to commemorate a man who helped build it. The gathered around a rain canopy that sheltered them and a bench dedicated to Steve from a light drizzle that slacked-off just as the memorial was getting underway.
Two of McCombs’ friends, John Sloan and Bill Johnson, kicked off the commemoration with a couple of tunes that McCombs liked, starting with a singalong of “Alaska’s Flag.”
Longtime friend Carol Austin says Steve would’ve appreciated the turnout for the ceremony, despite the chilly, cloudy weather. Carol is an avid hiker who, along with Steve and a few others, helped establish the Delta Junction Trails Association 13 years ago. The group develops and maintains trails for year-round use.
“There were times it was pouring down raining,” she said, “and it was like ‘You wanna go?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, I got my raincoat!’ So we'd go do it and then, you know, it'd stop raining and turned into a beautiful day, we went on a hike that we hadn’t been on before.”
Trails association President Mindy Eggleston is another founding member. She and McCombs were among those who decided early-on that Delta needed the organization to develop trails for people of all ages to get out and enjoy the natural world.
“ So in 2012, a number of us were retiring out of our jobs or having free time and wanted to go and get together and ski and recreate,” she said. “And we decided around a cup of tea that there were three things we thought our community needed, and it's more trails, community ski days and youth activities outside for kids.”
Eggleston said Steve wasn’t just a hiker. He also was organized and knowledgeable, and essential to launching the organization by coordinating things like grant applications and budgeting.
“ He's the guy that I could throw ideas to, and the next morning, he'd have this in my inbox, all organized and sequential,” she said, “and it all made sense. And I leaned on him constantly, because he was the guy that could figure it out how to do this.”
Tiki Levinson also joined what she called Steve’s hiking group. She said one of her enduring impressions was his selfless dedication to the community.
“He just organized things and then just stood back and let it happen,” she said. “He didn't want any attention for himself, but he made things happen.”
Steve was a tall, fit fellow who died unexpectedly three years ago at the age of 73 of complications from an emergency surgery.
Most of those at the gathering said they weren’t there to grieve, but to remember a Renaissance man with a wry wit who served his family and community in many different roles: librarian, musician, Boy Scout leader, volunteer firefighter and state Forestry dispatcher, to name a few.
Joyce McCombs, Steve’s wife of 43 years, said his passing was hard to deal with at first -- and still is, sometimes.
“ I've just learned grief sucks, and you make room for it and it changes shape over time,” she said. “And you just sort of learn to live with it, and it'll still come back and sock you in the teeth when you're not prepared for it.”
The bench that the group dedicated to his memory is inscribed with a silhouette of a tall, lanky guy with a floppy hat and two walking sticks, along with the words “Thank you, Steve.”
“It’s just the sort of thing he would’ve loved, a little gathering like this,” Joyce said. She added that placing it in his favorite spot on the last trail he helped build has helped her to take another step along the path to healing.
“It's a happy occasion, because this was reflective of what he really believed in and wanted to live his life for,” she said, “And did, until the very end.”
