Stephen Steve Edward Wells

Steve Wells October 20, 1950 – November 22, 2017 Steve’s life was full of accomplishments, and it all began when he won the Most Beautiful Baby Contest in Colorado in 1951. Shortly after this, Steve moved to southern Oregon with his family: his father, Jack Wells; his mother, Marge Wells; and his sister, Sherri Wells. Growing up in Grants Pass, Steve loved exploring the woods and the valleys and the mountains and the rivers. He hiked every trail he could, and reached the peak of the mighty Mt. McLoughlin more than a dozen times, including a memorable trip with his two young daughters. Steve was a self-taught man with insatiable curiosity and a lifelong love of learning that led him to pursue a wide variety of interests and hobbies. He had a passion for music, and was a self-taught guitarist, vocalist and pianist. He was a licensed amateur radio operator and spent hours practicing Morse code. He was fascinated by astronomy, and built his own telescope to study the constellations and night sky. After tinkering with a few locks, he devoted himself to becoming an amateur locksmith; one of his many feats was getting free after being handcuffed behind his back. Steve had a deep love for animals of all sizes, from the horses he worked with early in his career as a farrier, to the hummingbirds and fish he fed faithfully each morning, to the stray kitten that followed him home and the many dogs of his life. For the past ten years, the pound puppy Shaq was Steve’s constant companion and accomplice. Most recently, Steve discovered a new friend in Chuck, a wild turkey who took pieces of apples right from his hand. Steve spent ten years in Josephine County Search and Rescue, and trained the bloodhound puppy Scarlett, who became a close friend and partner. Steve and Scarlett were the first man-trailing dog and handler team certified by the state of Oregon in 1996, and they won the Star of Life award in 2001 for saving the lives of two children who had wandered away from home in the winter. Steve did all of these things; but above all this, he was a husband and a father who loved his family. He was a companion to his wife Lin for over four decades as they hiked and biked trails and backroads across Oregon, including a 3-day hike of the Rogue River Trail and an exhilarating bike ride home from the rim of Crater Lake. He loved cheering on the Beavs with his youngest daughter Laurelee and enjoyed lighthearted banter with his son-in-law Matt. One of Steve’s favorite memories was of visiting his oldest daughter Leslie when she was studying in Oxford, England. Steve was an irreplaceable member of the family and he will be forever missed. He will be making his final trip up Mt. McLoughlin in the summer of 2018. Inurnment will take place 10:00 am, Friday, December 1, at Hawthorne Memorial Gardens in Grants Pass. Professional services conducted by Chapel of the Valley- L.B. Hall Funeral Home.