Obituary: Dr. David Steinman

Dave passed away April 10, 2012, following a short illness. He is survived by his loving wife, Beverly Jean; his children Leslie (Ingrid) and David Steele; and his brother, John Charles (Pam). Predeceased by his parents, George Julius Steinman and Mary Eloise Steinman Eubank; and by his sister, Marion Sue McCord. He was born Feb. 16, 1937, in Crystal City, Texas.
In 1956, Dave spent a summer working at Glacier National Park, an experience that solidified his deep love for the Rocky Mountains. Dave graduated from Texas Tech in 1959 and then attended Baylor University Medical School. Before his graduation in 1963, he gained international health experience as a member of a Baylor team sent to British Guiana to fight a polio epidemic.
Dave and Bev married in 1965 and made their first home in Hyden, Ky. Dave received a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in 1967 and went on to join the faculty of the University of Kentucky with a double appointment in family medicine and community medicine. While a field professor for the University of Kentucky, he helped establish the Clover Fork Clinic to provide health care to the underserved population in Evarts, Ky.
In 1971, the family moved to Alberta, Canada, where Dave was associate professor of family medicine and director of the ambulatory care center at the University of Calgary. The family relocated to Denver in 1976, when Dave accepted a position teaching family medicine and preventive medicine at the University of Colorado Medical School. While in Denver, he also co-founded Clinical Reference Systems, a medical information software company. Dave, Bev and David Steele moved to Meeker, Colo., in 1993 and Dave practiced family medicine at Pioneers Hospital. He later did family practice locums in Cedaredge, Colo., and Sisseton, S.D.
Dave’s retirement offered him opportunities to pursue his gifted talents of photography and painting. He served as board member of the Rio Blanco County Historical Society, devoting special energy to developing and preserving the Milk Creek Battlefield Park. He enjoyed leading tour groups at the museum and local historical sites, especially when he could be a tour guide for visiting schoolchildren. Dave helped facilitate the first and second annual Smoking River Powwows held in Meeker in 2008 and 2009. He was a member of the Meeker United Methodist Church.
The family deeply appreciates the excellent care Dave received from Dr. Krueger and the staff of Pioneers Medical Center and Meeker Home Health Care.
A memorial service will be held at Meeker United Methodist Church at 11 a.m. on Monday, April 30 with reception to follow at the Fairfield Center. Donations in memory of Dave may be made through Grant Mortuary to the Hospice for White River Valley or to Rio Blanco County Historical Society for Milk Creek Battlefield Park.