Stephen Kirk Nemore
Stephen Kirk Nemore was born in Detroit, Michigan on February 8, 1947, to Jean and David Nemore, alongside his two sisters Lynette and Valerie. The family moved to Vienna, Virginia, for David’s government job when Steve was eight. Steve told many stories of delivering newspapers, playing inthe woods, and building forts. He became a Boy Scout, where he met his lifelong friend Leon. He read an article in Boy’s Life magazine about the smokejumpers and was inspired from then on. He earned a Forestry degree at Virginia Tech, working summers out west fighting wildland fire,hoping to establish connections to get to jump. Being an east coaster made it more difficult, but he made it as a rookie jumper in Redmond, Oregon, in 1969. Steve was then drafted into the Army, stationed in Kansas; but after the army, Nemore scored his perfect fit: being hired as a smokejumperin Fairbanks, AK in ‘75. He jumped out of Alaska for 10 years, where smokejumping, wildland firefighting, and interior Alaska itself became ingrained in who he was. The AK bros will forever be a part of Nemore. Steve and his wife Cathe had their eldest daughter, Stephanie, while living in Fairbanks, but Alaska can be a rough place to raise a family. When BLM started a base in Boise, Idaho, Steve and family followed, and daughter Emily was born soon after. Like any career, Steve faced ups and downs, butSteve’s positive attitude and personality continued to develop lifetime relationships with fellow jumpers. However, a firefighting career can be tough on a family no matter where you live. Steve and Cathe divorced in 1999, and Steve realized as much as being a wildland firefighter was his dream job, it meant even more to be Stephanie and Emily’s dad. Steve became a grandpa in 2019 when Stephanie and Dan welcomed Daphne and Jack into the world. He took on this role with much enthusiasm, making alast-minute trip to Boise to be there the day they were born. He certainly loved his children and grandchildren and was devoted to being involved in their lives until the very end. Steve retired in 2004, but continued to pick up contract work. While on a fire in Virginia, college pals Richard and Ellen, introduced Steve to Elizabeth, and a long-distance romance blossomed. Steve fell for Elizabeth’s old Boones Mill, VA farmhouse property too. The 35 acres of mountains and woods gave Steve a task not too distant from the work he always pursued, “fighting back the wilderness” as he called it. Steve and Elizabeth married on the beach at Chicoteague Island, Virginia, in 2011. Steve was a great influence on Elizabeth’s sons, Lincoln and Pierce, without trying to replace their dad. Even though the boys loved him like a dad. He supported his wife’s dog show habit, always encouraging her tofollow her dreams, while he held down the farm. Even though he had moved to the opposite side of the country, he would still pursue fire work each summer. Steve’s love of the game was hugely influential on Emily as she followed closely in his footsteps, working on and off in wildland fireoperations since 2007. Steve never stopped daily contact with Boise or AK bros, continuing to visit out west too, and bros would sometimes come visit the VA homestead. Nemore was a legend amongst his fellow jumpers. One of his favorite things was attending the many regular SMJ reunions across the country. He would see his daughters and grandkids out west as often as possible. They would bring light to his face even in the darkest times near the end. In August 2014 things got tough. Steve started having grand mal seizures and was in early-stage dementia. The disease was not fast progressing, but it would become suddenly intense and exhausting, with many phases over the past 12 years. Losing his red card to work, and then his driver’s license, were devastating to him. This disease is indeed the long painful goodbye. It was extremely hard to watch my husband, my lover, and my best friend deteriorate and succumb to Alzheimer’s horrendous destruction. I am told the bad memories will fade, and I will be left with the good, the fun, the happy. I hope so. Steve and I made it to the end thanks to the overwhelming compassion of family, friends, jumper bros, medical professionals, hospice workers, and complete strangers. Thank you to every person who has been a part of our life. Continue to do good. If you wish to make a donation in Steve Nemore’s memory, choose what is closest to your heart. He would be happy to support you and your causes too. Rest in peace in those smoky skies forever, you Worm. See you in the City, where we’ll kick ass ‘til our boots are shitty. Steve, I love you - Lizzbeth. Stephen Kirk Nemore. SKN 479. Jumper away. February 8, 1947 to July 21, 2026 Arrangements by Conner-Bowman Funeral Home & Crematory, 62 VA Market Place Drive, Rocky Mount, VA 24151/ (540)334-5151
