Stephen Edward Hurd
Marriages
Carol Kowalski - 1973
Julianne Lee - 2007
Obituaries
The Daily Sentinel page 7C - August 14, 2022
Stephen Edward Hurd,
age 74, passed away
peacefully in his sleep on
July 22, 2022, at home
in Lake James, North
Carolina.
Steve was born in Perry,
Iowa, on July 10, 1948, as the second of nine children
to Eugene and Catherine Hurd (Knaapen). After
graduating from St. Patrick’s High School in Perry,
Steve went on to become a “triple Domer” – earning
a B.A. (1970), M.A. (1973), and Ph.D. (1977) from the
University of Notre Dame.
In 1970, Steve met Carol (Kowalski) during Mardi
Gras in New Orleans. They were married in 1973 and
later relocated to Greeley, Colorado. In 1987, they moved
the family to Grand Junction, Colorado. Together Steve
and Carol raised three sons—Jeff, Brian, and Kevin—
in a loving home. The family treasured time together
and made countless memories both at home and in
numerous road trips across the country. Following a
courageous struggle with cancer, Carol passed away in
1999.
While family was first, Steve cherished his professional
vocation as a psychologist. He felt called to serve lowincome, uninsured individuals having complex health
and psychosocial needs. As Executive Director of the
Marillac Clinic in Grand Junction from 2001 to 2012,
Steve led a patient-centered, integrated primary care
delivery system. Steve led a similar program at Good
Samaritan Clinic in Morganton, North Carolina, from
2015 to 2017.
In 2003, Steve met Julianne Lee, and they later married
in 2007. In 2013, Steve and Julie relocated to a home on
Lake James in North Carolina where they cherished time
together exploring their natural surroundings, watching
sunsets, kayaking, and spending countless hours hiking
the trails of the North Carolina mountains. Their travels
took them around the world, including extended time in
the winters with family in St. Petersburg, Florida.
In addition to exploring the outdoors, Steve had a wide
range of interests and hobbies spanning travel, music,
dancing, birdwatching, sushi, craft beer, family game
nights, and tracking his personal geographic center.
Steve was a gifted writer and public speaker and lived a
life of humor, service, and gratitude.
His greatest passion was spending time and making
memories with his family. He looked forward to planning
vacations and visiting his family around the country,
including his fourteen grandchildren. Steve had a gift
for playing with children and was adept at keeping kids
entertained with games invented on the fly. He will be
remembered for his listening, his wisdom, and his big
heart. He will be forever missed by his family, friends,
and all those whose lives he touched.
Steve is survived by his wife, Julie; his sons, Jeffrey
(Barbora), Brian (Kristin), and Kevin (Kristin);
stepchildren John (Jackie) and Elizabeth (Angela);
and by eight brothers and sisters: Joseph (Judith),
Patricia (Timothy), Richard, Rosemary (Henry), Edwin
(Quonnella), William (Sheila), Kathleen (Steven), and
Elizabeth (William). He’s also survived by fourteen
grandchildren of whom he was particularly proud:
Dominic, Gabriella, Matilda, Vincent, Jack, Carolyn,
Clara, Carol, Thomas, Andrew, Riah, Lillian, Sadie,
and Brooks.
Memorials for Steve will be held on future dates in
Grand Junction and in North Carolina.
