Lee Darwin Steorts 1922 ~ 2011
Lee Darwin Steorts passed away Wednesday, July 13, from natural causes attendant to age. Born March 19, 1922, in Salt Lake City to Minter Jackson Steorts and Mildred Ensign Steorts, Lee was the second of five brothers. Abandoned by their father and orphaned at age eight with the death of their mother, he and his brothers were raised by their grandparents, Louis and Florence Ensign. While at East High School he met, fell in love with, and, in 1942, married Phyllis Lund. Phyllis became his lifelong companion, his greatest champion, and his support. Together they shared a life of experiences few could ever hope to live. Lee served in the United States Army during World War II. Lee learned to enjoy all this life had to offer. As a boy, Lee built the first of several sailboats he would own; and he spent the rest of his life under sail. In the late 1940s he occupied his winter weekends as an early member of the Alta Ski Patrol. Inducted into the Utah Skiing Hall of Fame and active into his 80s, he was one of the "old men" on the mountain. Lee was an experienced rock climber. He and five others were asked by the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Department to be deputized and serve as the sheriff's first search and rescue team in the 1950s. He was a lifetime member of the Wasatch Mountain Club, and Steorts Ridge climbing route in Big Cottonwood Canyon is his namesake. Always interested in new experiences, Lee learned to fly. After satisfying his powered-flight interest, Lee began a 45 year love affair with soaring. He constructed his first sailplane in the family garage, the first of three glider-building projects. As a glider pilot, he and six others founded the Utah Soaring Association, and at one time, Lee held all of the Utah state soaring records. As a glider pilot and instructor, he enjoyed the sport until health precluded any further flights at age 85. Lee survived a near-drowning in the Yellowstone River while searching for a missing Boy Scout, and survived being buried alive in an avalanche while on a backcountry ski trip with the Mountain Club. Mother Nature couldn't catch him, but age and time did. Lee is survived by his wife, Phyllis; his children, Scott (Kathy) Steorts and Wendy (Wilson) Martin; his grandchildren, Ryan (Tricia) Martin, Paul Martin, Jason Steorts, Mitchael (Kathryn) Steorts, and Dennis Steorts; his five great-grand children; and his brother, Gerald G. Steorts (California). A gathering of friends and family will be held Monday, July 18, 2011 from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m. at Larkin Mortuary, 260 East South Temple, Salt Lake City. Outdoor services will be held at the Kaysville City Cemetery, 500 East 400 North, Kaysville, Tuesday, July 19, 2011, at 10:30 a.m. Online condolences may be left at www.larkincares.com