Steven Aaland

Steven Ralph Aaland, loving and generous husband, father, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend, passed away peacefully at home on April 22,2024 surrounded by his wife, two children, and beloved dog, Bailey. He was 73 years old. He fought a courageous 12-month battle against gastric cancer.

Steve was born to Ralph Aaland and Dorothy Lewis on August 22,1950 at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah. A self-proclaimed "military brat" he lived in multiple places (including Hawaii) throughout his childhood, eventually spending his formative years in Southern California. Steve was a devoted son to his parents and the close friendship he forged with his sisters and brother continued throughout his life no matter the distance in miles between them. His "growing-up years" with his family together for holidays and Sunday dinners, weekend poker games, along with camping and motor home trips (especially to Yosemite) are among his fondest memories. This special bond with his family became the cornerstone of his life and shaped the man he became. For the last 31 years, he proudly called Fort Collins, Colorado home.

Steve married Cheryl Kelso on August 23, 1975. He was a student at Fullerton Junior College working towards his associate degree in forestry when his entrepreneurial mind took lead; he started a home business called "Have Junk Will Travel" as well as the restoration and sale of old vehicles to supplement their income. He and his brother Craig were introduced to the household transportation industry through their father which afforded them many employment opportunities throughout their lives. In the summer of 1978, Steve and Cheryl moved to Corvallis, Oregon so he could attend OSU. While in school he worked part-time with City Moving Systems, an agent of UniGroup. He enjoyed the sales aspect so much that he stayed on with City and ultimately became the general manager of the Corvallis office. During that time, he pioneered a working relationship with GSA government agencies to facilitate moving household goods. Steve and Cheryl enjoyed traveling to the many UniGroup conferences across the country where he was presented with awards for excellence in sales numbers. In 1988, Steve created his own business corporation that allowed him to contract his specialized services to other household moving companies. In 1993, the family decided to relocate to the beautiful sunny skies of Northern Colorado, east of the Rocky Mountains. Steve continued his career in the household moving industry from Fort Collins, CO. In 2004, Steve embarked upon a new career opportunity to work closely with his brother Craig, owner of Move Management Group, until his recent retirement.

Outside of work, Steve had an adventurous spirit that he enjoyed sharing with others. He earned his private pilot's license and had an exciting time exploring the skies in his Piper Cherokee. Often his family and friends enjoyed a birds' eye view along with him. Steve excelled at planning family vacation trips which were a top priority to him. One memorable Christmas morning, he created a treasure hunt for the kids--he hid gold jewelry boxes containing a single letter inside, and around the house. When all the boxes were found, the kids had to decipher the hidden clues. How exciting it was when the puzzle was revealed: SPRING BREAK IN HAWAII! Some of their best times were spent exploring historical landmarks across the country, camping, hiking, and boating in national parks, and water-skiing, tubing, fishing and cruising on local lakes with friends and relatives aboard our ski boat. Hitting the slopes for winter weekend ski trips was a blast and a family favorite activity! Steve and Cheryl also learned to scuba dive and experienced memorable underwater adventures off the Cayman Islands as well as snorkeling along the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Steve had a lot of fun "playing" with his kids and their cousins and friends at amusement parks, water parks, and the local zoos and museums. Priceless memories were created with family and friends gathered around the campfire at his favorite places: Cannon Beach, Oregon and Grand Lake, Colorado. He always looked forward to celebrating the holidays with family and friends gathered around the dining room table sharing stories, a delicious meal, and a glass of wine followed by a shot of whiskey. He often had us laughing; he was so good at slinging "one-liners" and witticisms. Steve truly was a "fun" guy, but he also was a very thoughtful person; he never hesitated to help a friend or stranger in need.

In his later years Steve enjoyed golfing, sprucing up the yard, working on household projects, tinkering with his cars and backyard solar lights, and more than anything else, spending time with his family and animals. In the fall of 2018 Cheryl and Steve celebrated their retirement with a "once-in-a-lifetime" trip to Scotland and Ireland; the bus tour was a fantastic way to explore these beautiful countries and to become Immersed in their lively and friendly culture. During this past year, Steve especially enjoyed sitting out on the redwood back deck which he had recently rebuilt, under the shade of the ash tree, listening to the joyful voices of neighborhood kids playing in the distance and finding comfort in the quiet moments of silence while watching the squirrels and the birds tussle over prime spot at the birdbath and birdfeeders. Steve found immense joy in just "being."

Steve was preceded in death by his father Ralph, mother Dorothy, sister Sandra, and nephew Ryan. He is survived by his wife, Cheryl, son Zachary, daughter Tiffany Scroggins (McGuire), sister Kristie Metzler (Ron), brother Craig Aaland (Karen), sister-in-law Paula Whistler, and brother-in-law Paul Kelso, along with many nieces, nephews, and cousins whom he dearly loved. During the past 28 years, Steve treasured the friendships and memories he created with his fun-loving golf buddies.

Steve and his family would like to express their sincere gratitude for the continued loving support he received from friends and family; your cards, words of encouragement, and visits meant a great deal to him. A special thanks to his amazing care team at UCHealth Harmony Cancer Care Center; your heartfelt compassion and specialized treatment provided him with the strength and courage to "give it his all" so he could spend those priceless extra days revisiting the "good old times" with his family and friends. Many heartfelt thanks to Goes Funeral Care for their respectful and compassionate care, thoughtful guidance and professional management of affairs during our time of grief. His family also expresses their deepest gratitude to Pathways Hospice whose exceptional care allowed him to peacefully spend his last days at home with his family and dog by his side.

Steve (Dad): You were an incredibly special father and husband. Thank you for giving us the opportunities and encouragement to explore and pursue our passions and hone our talents; wherever they took us, you were there by our side. You gave us priceless gifts—the greatest of these was your immense love. You taught us that a man in today's world finds strength and success by living his life with love, sensitivity, compassion, courage, perseverance, resourcefulness, a never-ending quest for knowledge and truth, and let us not forget--humor! You shared these amazing qualities with us every day; we felt and will continue to feel so blessed to have your love and support. We promise to proudly carry forward these virtues you bestowed upon us—this is your legacy to us.

You fought the good fight. You finished the race. You kept the faith. Now it is time to freely soar the skies in your eternal resting place with your heavenly family and friends as your co-pilots. We love you so much and we will forever keep your loving memories deep within our hearts.
A family celebration of life will be planned for some time later this year. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to NOCO Humane Society to honor Steve's wish that all rescued animals find their forever homes.

As a loyal Trekkie, Steve would like to leave us with this favorite quote from Star Trek: The Next Generation: "So you will understand when I say, 'Death is that state in which one exists only in the memory of others…which is why it is not an end.' No goodbyes…Just good memories."