Steven Louis Ausmus

Steven was born on April 20th, 1954, at St Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado, to Louis “Buzz” Ausmus and Rosalie Marie Arcieri. He was welcomed into the family by his big sister, Ronalyn. Steven’s primary education started at the former Redlands Elementary School and continued to Orchard Mesa Junior High School and then to Fruita Monument High School and Grand Junction High School. He graduated in 1972. He attended the University of Colorado - Colorado Springs, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Public Administration. Steven was most proud of his contributions to the Grand Junction Economic Development, Mesa County Administration, School District 51, Colorado Mesa University, as well as the legal community at large.

Steven was proud of his humble Ausmus family heritage in Norwood, Colorado, as well as the vibrant Italian side of his family and their contribution to the culture of the Grand Valley. He was a devoted son to his parents, especially to his mother Rosalie in her final years. He made sure she was able to attend weekly Sunday Masses at St. Joseph’s Church. Steven reveled in music festivals and sporting events and participated in the local soccer community. He enjoyed hiking the Colorado National Monument and the mountains around the family cabin at Trout Lake above Telluride.

Steven was an accomplished guitarist. In high school, he and his friends, Lawerence Valdez and Bill “Peb” Rock, formed a rock band, “Alpo Grit.” They played at school dances and venues across the Grand Valley. He had a lifelong love affair with music, spanning multiple genres.

In the summer of 1976, Steven and his friend Kenny McKenzie backpacked through Europe, stopping in England and Germany to visit friends. He always made time to connect with the people in his world. He lived a life of kindness, love, selflessness, humility, and respect for others. He generously left a monument and funds for the upkeep of the Ausmus family gravesites in Norwood. He also made civic contributions to Grand Junction, the city he loved. Steven’s legacy lives on in the trails he hiked and the lives he touched, which are many.

He will be greatly missed by his family and many friends, including Bill Bailey, Jimmy Bailey, Rick Enstrom, Kenny McKenzie, Don Morehouse, David White, Pat Page, Mark Shaffer, and many others who meant the world to him. He is survived by his Aunt Marilyn Arcieri Richardson and family, his niece Kazia and her husband Kirk Trujillo, nephews Kylan and Bryce Trujillo, and many cousins from the Arcieri, Ausmus, and Latto families. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Ronalyn Cook.

A Funeral Mass will be held Thursday, May 14th at 11:00 a.m. at St Joseph’s Church. A reception will immediately follow in Parish Hall. Please consider contributions in Steven’s memory to Grand Junction Catholic Outreach or to a charity of your choice. Arrangements have been made by Callahan-Edfast Mortuary.