Memorial Picture Board for David Steele
He was our hero
Manning the line for his varsity football team, David Steele was a passionate player, a hard worker and a devoted teammate.
“He absolutely wanted no honor or glory for himself,” said Ashland High School Principal Jeff Schlecht. “It was about what he could do for the team.”
That instinct to help others led Steele, 19, to set his sights early on to become a firefighter.
“I think he thought the job was honorable,” said his mother, Susanne.
After graduating high school in 2007, David Steele headed to Bend, studying at Central Oregon Community College to become a firefighter and emergency medical technician.
Last summer he battled forest fires to pay for his education. This year he signed up with Grayback Forestry again. He was fighting his first fire of the summer in Northern California when his helicopter crashed, killing him and eight others aboard.
“He died doing what he wanted to do,” said his father, Paul.
On Thursday his family and friends also remembered Steele as a beloved older brother, a solid student, and a fun-loving friend. They marveled at his dedication to making a difference, rereading the motto on his MySpace page: “Live for nothing or die for something, it’s your choice.”
“He was the only guy I can say unconditionally loved me through thick and thin,” said Tysin Senestraro, his best friend. “I know I have someone watching over me now.”
“He was a big, strong boy with a heart of gold,” said his father. “He was our hero. He put himself at risk to protect others. Most of us don’t have that in us.”
— Arthur Gregg Sulzberger
More tribute and memorial sites for David Steele:
Grayback Forestry 
I did not know David personally. I did however grow up in Ashland,my dad was a police officer there.I went to church & school with the Steele family. I was also friends with his his aunts on his mom’s side. I want the family to know that there are all sorts of people in these small communities of the region that have, like myself, realized they know or once knew someone connected to one of the heroes and are truly saddened by your loss.From what I have read I believe he was a great kid and you were all lucky to have him. My brother is a firefighter and I am so proud of him every day of my life, but a part of me is also thanking God that he is not fighting wild land fires this year. On the other hand my nephew is in the National Guard & will be in the next group to train & go to the fire lines. We’ll see what the world has in store for him.
Our thoughts & prayers are with you & all the families of the fallen
The Gleim Family
Bud & MaryLouise Gleim
Cindy Wion Buckalew & family
Vicki Robertson Elliott & family
Chris Gleim & family
Hello to all of you in the forestry industry,
I work for a company that makes pavers(bricks) that hold a bronze plaque. They’re used as memorials and for recognition by different organizations. I’ve recently been asked to create one David Steele and his granfather would like there to be a logo on it that represents the agency he worked with.
Can anyone help me with this? I need a image, whether it’s a computer graphic or even in a printed form of some sort.
This plaque is to be installed at the Ashland Elks lodge as well as at Ashland High School but first I need to find some type of insignia that represents the hard work these men do.
Any help would be greatly appreciated – Feel free to reply or call me at 1-800-569-9869.
Thanks in advance!
Wesley Redding
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