It is with a heavy heart that I am reporting the loss of a “champion” of the program and a great guy. Steve Claxton died yesterday (Sunday, Sept. 15) after fighting his illness for the past 3 years. He believed deeply in the power of mentoring, of caring adults helping young people to reach their fullest potential. Steve acted on this belief in both his personal and professional life, and through his genuine caring he improved the lives of countless young people.
There is not an aspect of Big Brothers Big Sisters that Steve did not benefit; he served on the Swain Advisory Council for many, many years, was a long-time Big Brother to Zack, served on staff as both the Swain Program Coordinator and as the Swain and Graham County Outreach Coordinator. And he raised a ton of money for the program over the years.
I was honored to have Steve as my friend and sad that he will no longer be around to tell stories about the outdoors or Swain County’s history.
– Robin Myer, executive director, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina
