Jamie Greene
Southwest Region
It is with a heavy heart that I regretfully share that one of our own, Steve Montador, passed away February 15 in his native Toronto. He was 35 years old and was taken long before his time. I met Montador a couple of years ago and had the privilege of serving as his Life Coach and Mentor while he spent time here in California, having retired from professional hockey after a 20 year career, following numerous head concussions. It may well be that the trauma he suffered over time is what led to the radical changes in his experience of life.
I brought him into Full Monty Men’s Division in the Southwest Region where he became an integral member of our newly created “Team Integration Program” or TIP. My men’s team, Poker Canyon, took it upon ourselves to create a 12-week syllabus where we created a new team (now known as RPM) from a collection of men who had been guests at our team meetings over the months. We had 15 men begin the program, and 15 men completed it. This included Montador who stepped up to become the first Team Leader at their overnight. He was not elected but became fully committed to his men for a good eight months before moving back to Toronto. He attended all of the MDI trainings and Initiation Events, emerging as a natural leader in every setting.
Wisdom has taught us that, as men, we often end up becoming disconnected, isolated and struggling to find a higher purpose. Montador’s biggest regret was having to give up his love of hockey and retire as a young man of 33. He had not been able to find a new passion or career path, and it plagued him every day of his last years of life.
I introduced him to several communities and marveled as he befriended everyone with a huge heart and became a dedicated friend to many. It was his passion to be there for his men, his family and his community. I have rarely seen a man so beloved by those around him, and the real tragedy is that he was not able to take in just how much he was loved and cherished.
May his light shine upon us and remind us all of the power of a men’s circle and community. We always remember our men.
Rest In Peace Steve Montador.