We lost an OSC Champion.

Our hearts are heavy at OSC as we mourn the loss of one of our biggest champions. Steve Nagle was the President of our Board of Directors for many years and made a considerable impact during his time with OSC. We are sad to hear about the passing of our former OSC President and long-time volunteer. In a Facebook post on March 26th, his daughter Maggie wrote:

“This past Wednesday morning, we lost our father, after a 2+ year battle with kidney disease and heart failure… He had a personality that immediately lit up a room, with a sense of humor that all could remember. He loved nothing more than to share stories and anecdotes and to fill a room with laughter. He was also the walking definition of having never met a stranger. His impact reached far and wide, so we will take our time in planning a celebration of life.”

He was an environmental advocate whose love of our rivers was apparent in everything he did. Steve worked with OSC and many other organizations on environmental planning and advocacy, including the River des Peres Watershed Coalition and Missouri State Parks, to continue the work of protecting and preserving our land and waters for future generations. He loved music and art and wrote poems and songs about his love of the Meramec and its beauty. Check out one of Steve’s poems on our blog post from 2015 here. Thanks to Jo at the Meramec River Recreation Association for the music video below. His spirit will live on through events in his music, art, and legacy.

See pictures from Steve’s social media pages below, among his friends and colleagues, doing what he loved. Our thoughts are with his family and friends as they grieve the loss of an environmental icon.

Steve inspired Missourians to get outside, connect with nature, and volunteer to improve our parks, trails, and waterways, and he leaves an incredible legacy of conservation leadership. He will be deeply missed, and his immense contributions to land and water conservation in Missouri will not be forgotten. In honor of Steve, the Open Space Council encourages our community to take a moment to experience the great outdoors. Whether through a small cleanup in your neighborhood, on a walk-in one of our region’s many great parks and conservation areas, or by volunteering at a future Operation Clean Stream or Stream Team event.

You can also donate to The Open Space Council in his honor by clicking the button below.