Steven Pfeifer

Steven Pfeifer, long time resident of Fourmile Canyon, passed away on April 8, 2024 after a brave battle with an aggressive pancreatic cancer. Steven was born December 2, 1948 in St. Louis to Walter Harris Pfeifer and Rose Marie Seitzer Pfeifer. His parents and grandparents gave him a life-long appreciation of both books and music. He was a walking repository of poetry and song lyrics, having hundreds that he could pull from memory. He loved his guitar and while he practiced faithfully for most of his life, he joked that his playing never improved. From early boyhood he loved the outdoors and reluctantly left the rivers and mountains of Missouri behind as the West increasingly beckoned him. He spent many years living and travelling throughout the western US before settling in Colorado. His outdoor adventures were countless; rock climbing, long camping trips, cross country skiing and hiking, the last of which he continued, with great perseverance, until the final months of his illness. With rock-climbing as a particular passion in his life, and being comfortable hundreds of feet above the ground, Steven combined these physical abilities with his love of trees and worked for many years – eventually running his own business – as an arborist. His holistic, organic tree-care beliefs were ahead of his time; he approached each tree with respect for its individual needs within its unique environment. As a result, he developed an interrelated interest in and knowledge of climate, insects and soil health, and in his 40+ years on the Front Range, he nurtured and saved many beloved trees. He was particularly proud of his decades of caring for the trees on the grounds of the historic Chautauqua Park. Steven was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Kathi (Keith) Edwards and brothers-in-law Keith Edwards, Jon Stetz and Glen Moore. He is survived by his longtime companion, Kathleen Clendenen, and siblings Ellen (Steve) Glickstein of Fairfax, Virginia, Alexis Mayer of St. Louis, Missouri, Larry (Maureen) Pfeifer of Ferguson, Missouri, Chris Moore of St. Louis, Missouri and Martha Stetz of Windsor, Colorado. Deep gratitude goes to the physicians and nursing staff at Foothills Hospital who eased Steven’s last days with boundless grace and kindness. At Steven’s request, there will no services. Donations in his name may be given to Amnesty International, Greenpeace International, Tipi Raisers in Lafayette, or Harlequin Gardens in Boulder.