Thank you for the updates Dani,
We have never met, but I know so much about you because Steve was so proud of the relationship y'all had.
I have intentionally held off posting, because I am still trying to process it all.....
Debby messaged me through Facebook and asked if I was in town. I replied yes and that I was at the hospital working. She said Steve was badly hurt and was taken to Lourdes which is the hospital where I happen to work. I immediately went to the ER and helped with the resuscitation. About 15 minutes total. His injury was so severe that there was no way to survive it. I went out to the lobby and gave her that dreaded news that no physician ever wants to give: "He's gone". I hugged her and we both cried. She spent time with Steve in the ER and was able to get some closure, but there is no way to ever get closure with something like this. Debby stayed with Tammie and I that night and we tried to provide as much comfort as we could. We spent time reminiscing and we recalled many of the times we spent together. I have known Steve and Debby for almost 20 years and it is because of this website. I have spent the past few days reliving our experiences....
My first trip to Washington state was to visit Steve and Debby and I was able to take my first Harlequin and Barrows with him. As we were boating to the Harlequin spot, Steve stopped the boat and grabbed his camera and snapped a picture of the sunrise coming across the inlet where we were. He always took a moment to appreciate the beautiful spectacle of nature.
That first trip out, I also arranged to hunt with Pete Markantes down in Oregon at the Columbia River. Steve insisted that I take his truck and a Fat Boy down to hunt with Pete. I was planning on renting a vehicle, but Steve wouldn't have it. Mind you, this was only the second time I met Steve in person. He said, "Hell, drive it, it's insured".... I am not sure I could ever do something like!!
We spent a long weekend together in 2001 with Grayson Chesser at his home on the eastern shore of Virginia and took a carving class together with Grayson. It was definitely one of the highlights of my life.
Countless emails and phone calls. Countless decoys he mailed me with pictures and hand written notes. He would make me laugh so hard over the phone, that I always would get a headache.....
He helped me design my tender boat and I stayed with them when I met with the builder who was just outside of Issaquah.
When they retired and he moved the last of his belongings from Washington to Florida, he stopped by my home and I purchased an antique ducker from him that was built in the 1880s and later restored. It is an absolutely beautiful boat and the pre-cursor to the famous "Ducker" boat that was popular in the 1950s. It is proudly hanging in the lodge at the Bandana Hunt Club.
This tragedy made me pause and reflect how fragile life really is. As a physician, I am amazed at how "tough" the human body and mind is with day to day life; tremendous reserve that allows us to live 80+ years even if we don't take care of our bodies. But in the blink of an eye it can also disappear.
The world is a smaller place without Steve Sutton. I am very proud to have shared time in the blind with him; carve decoys with him; cook with him; fellowship with him and learn from him. I am a different person from knowing Steve.
Please keep your thoughts and prayers with Debby. Time does heal all wounds, but going through that time span is really tough.
Steve McCullough
