“The man, the myth, the legend” Steve Russell Smith passed away June 1, 2018 at 4:08 p.m. at the Cook County North Shore Hospital in Grand Marais, Minn. of congestive heart failure.
Steve was born August 12, 1956 in St. Paul, Minn. to Axel Smith and Eve Erickson.
He was known locally for his abundant mustache, his perpetual laugh and great sense of humor, and as being pivotal in starting and growing the local Cook County hockey program.
He is survived by his wife, Debbie; children Derek (and wife Fiona Stephenson) and Jessica; grandchildren Kayden, Kirby and Asa; siblings Ron (Maggie), Mel (Peewee) and Roy (Bridgette); as well as an entire generation of hockey kids he coached.
Steve was all about the hockey, whether it was renting ice time at midnight at the local rink with his brothers in his youth, playing at St. Paul Murray High School or Bemidji State, or through the many years of involvement in the North Shore hockey scene as being “Coach Steve.” He freely and constantly gave his time to coaching and maintaining the local rink, buying gear for kids and coaches, and if you ever stopped by the Smith household, you would undoubtedly hear the whirring of the skate sharpener going as he endlessly sharpened skates for folks all along the North Shore.
A celebration of his life will be held at the Grand Marais Community Center at 7 p.m. this Friday, the 8th of June.
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