Steve Barak, age 75, passed away Sunday, April 27, 2025. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Pat; his daughter, Katie; his son, Jesse; as well as Chug and Kunta, his beloved dogs. Beyond the immediate family, he is also survived by Randy and Diane Stephen and Joanne Dudley. Nieces and nephews include Kevin, Becca, Chris, and Robin. Steve was originally from Houston, Texas, but called Highlands Ranch, Colorado, his home for almost 30 years. He adored the mountains, rivers, and valleys, frequently visiting national parks. He was forever a social butterfly, ready to chat with anyone. He was the king of kids’ games, initiating water balloon showdowns for the fourth of July, making penny or candy bets, and telling the type of jokes that would make you groan and laugh in equal parts. During COVID, he sought to connect with people and started “The Meeting,” a Friday night club where neighbors and friends would come together for happy hour. He so enjoyed spending time with Scott, Kevin, Fernando, John, Peta, Julie, Terri, Brian, and Christopher. While he may not have had many hobbies, he was deeply passionate about a few things. He collected beer labels from microbrews that he had wife Pat frame and hang. Spanning 25 years, he managed to collect 8,500 labels. He often stated “And I had to drink them all!” Steve was a sports fan who rooted for the Broncos before, during, and after a season. He also championed the Nuggets, shaking the house with his stomping and hollering. But perhaps his biggest passion was hunting. He hunted white tail deer, elk, antelope, turkey, and pheasant. His favorite, though, was dove hunting in both Texas and Colorado. He would don a hat Pat painted with sunflowers and spend hours scanning the skies in the most beautiful places. Jesse has many fond memories of hunting with Steve. Sometimes that enthusiasm would peter out partway through the trek when he would jokingly wish Jesse was a worse shot so they “didn’t have to hike all over creation” to retrieve the kill. But he always went the distance. Katie will never forget Steve’s couplets, limericks, and other poems he dashed off, rhymes rapidly pouring out of his brain. In the early 2000s Steve won a streak of AM radio contests because he wrote sonnets about sports, which yielded all kinds of bizarre prizes he shared with everyone. Pat’s favorite quality about Steve was his loyalty and devotion. She will miss his fanciful kitchen creations. He was not afraid to try new recipes, ingredients, and spices. She is incredibly proud of his strong character and the way Steve chose to live and die. The fun-loving Steve will be missed by all who knew him. As a remembrance, raise a glass of your favorite spirits and think kind thoughts of Steve.