Steven Eugene Den Obituary
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Steven Eugene Den (aka Steve/Mr. Den/Birdman), who departed this life on June 27, 2025, at the age of 76 after suffering several medical issues. Steve was a beloved dad, grandpa, brother, teacher, uncle, and friend to many throughout the Ft. Collins, Poudre Park, and LaPorte, Colorado communities. If you knew him, your memories of him will bring an immediate smile to your face. He was one of a kind and his humor and warmth were contagious.
Born on December 31, 1948, in Bellevue, Nebraska, Steve spent as much time as possible outdoors his entire life, hunting, fishing, and canoeing on the Missouri River with his dad and boyhood friends. He was also an avid Nebraska Cornhusker fan from birth and attended many games in Lincoln. After graduating from Bellevue High School, Steve attended Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas where he discovered he had a talent for teaching and graduated with a degree in Elementary Education in 1971. He developed his lifelong passion for birds after taking an ornithology course at K-State. While in college, he became a federally licensed bird bander and over his lifetime banded over 10, 000 birds from hummingbirds to great horned owls. He later earned a master's degree in education at Colorado State University and was just 15 hours short of a PhD.
Steve married Linda Schwab of Manhattan in December 1971. They moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico in August 1972 where Steve held his first teaching job at Antilles Elementary School at Fort Buchanan, teaching first graders. He was immediately a favorite teacher among his students, inspiring a passion for learning, reading, and math by bringing nature, sports, and real-world examples into the classroom (including an occasional live snake). While in Puerto Rico, he expanded his interest in ornithology and traveled the island, adding birds of the Caribbean to his lifelist. He assisted renowned ornithologists Drs. Noel and Helen Snyder with their project to save the critically endangered Puerto Rican parrot from extinction, spending many hours in El Yunque Rain Forest.
Upon returning to the United States, Steve and Linda made their home in Ft. Collins, Colorado in June 1974. Steve landed a teaching job at Putnam Elementary where he taught for 31 years until retiring in 2006. They welcomed son Timothy Jason in 1975 and son Joshua Ryan in 1977, moving to LaPorte, CO in 1976. Steve and Linda were divorced in 1982 and at that time Steve moved to Bellvue, CO. His little home in the Poudre Park community beside the river became a haven for birds and critters of all kinds and a place anyone felt welcome to stop and sit on his deck and swap stories. He was well-respected for his vast expertise on birds and was known as Birdman throughout Poudre Canyon. He often enjoyed taking Tim and Josh camping, fishing, hunting, and to CSU Rams and Nebraska Cornhusker games. He regularly took his sons and countless numbers of students on field trips to view owl nests, mountain bluebirds and other wildlife. Steve was also an avid big game hunter and spent many hunting seasons at the Powderhorn Cabins in Gould with his sons, grandson and friends and buddy Richard Clark.
He took great pride in the accomplishments of both sons and his three grandkids. The walls of his home are plastered with pictures as a tribute to their precious times together.
Steve spent many of his happiest years with long-time girlfriend and best friend, Kate Driscoll. They enjoyed their mountain life together, often sitting on the deck relaxing by the river, dancing to classic rock and roll at the Mish, riding Harleys to annual Sturgis Rallies, and throwing Parties on the Poudre at their home for their many friends and family. Sadly, Kate passed away suddenly in February of 2011.
Just a few of his many teaching accomplishments included the Colorado's Outstanding Conservation Teacher of the Year award, appearing in Who's Who in America's Teachers, two Presidential Science Teaching awards, and being named Teacher of the Year multiple times.
Steve's work to conserve and protect wildlife will have lasting impact in Poudre Canyon and northern Colorado. He created and maintained the Cherokee Park Bluebird Trail for many years, building and installing nestboxes in Cherokee Park as the bluebird habitat was dwindling. Over 3, 000 mountain bluebirds were hatched successfully as a result of his nestbox program.
When the Poudre School District's ECO-week was in danger of losing funding at one time, Steve campaigned to preserve it and as a result, it has remained a valuable annual experience for thousands of 5th and 6th grade students in Larimer County.
In 2018, Steve worked with well-known photographer and conservationist Michael Forsberg on the American Dipper project in the Poudre River, appearing in Forsberg's nature video, "A Trout With Feathers: Filming Dippers Underwater.".
In addition to his work as an elementary school teacher, he spent countless hours educating others about all forms of wildlife, writing wildlife articles for several publications including the Platte Basin Timelapse, North Forty News, and a group email "Mountain Messages" with a widespread following.
Steve is survived by sons Timothy (DeeDee) of Ft. Collins, Joshua (Cristina) of Ft. Collins, grandchildren Cameron, Hailey and Ethan Den of Ft. Collins, sisters Marsha Berens of Colby, KS, Melinda Scott (Dave) of Bellvue, CO, and Melanie Stephens of Columbia, TN, three nieces, multiple grand-nieces and -nephews, and ex-wife Linda (Greg) Messmer. He was predeceased by his parents Ralph and Helen, nephews Justin and Nathan Emmons, brother-in-law Gary Berens, girlfriend and companion Katie Driscoll, and many beloved pets, most recently his dog Bear.
A Celebration of Life will be held on July 11, 2025 at 3:00 pm at the Poudre Park Community Center, 10234 Poudre Canyon Rd/Hwy 14, Bellvue CO 80512.
If attending his Celebration, you are encouraged (not required) to wear red in honor of Steve. But whatever you wear, the family welcomes you to celebrate with them, listen to some rock and roll, and share your stories and favorite memories of Steve.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program at http://www.rmrp.org. in Steve's memory. They can also be found on their Facebook page, Rocky Mountain Raptor Program.; Though we mourn this incredible ole' mountain man's loss, we also celebrate his amazing life, cherishing the memories, humor and love he shared with all who had the privilege of knowing him.
