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Steamboat Springs — Friends and family remembered David Engle as a "true Steamboat local" Thursday during a memorial held at the Yampa River Botanic Park.

About 150 friends and family listened to music performed by Engle's uncle Bernie Clarke and to speakers who recounted often-humorous stories about Engle's life.

Engle, who died Sunday morning in a house fire in downtown Steamboat Springs, was born in Aspen and moved to Steamboat when he was 10 years old. He graduated high school here and for the next 30 years worked a variety of jobs including retail clerk, ski shop assistant and many forms of construction.

"He had an amazing resume of employment," Clarke joked. "I think most of the people here hired him, worked with him or, after he was fired, consoled him."

Engle also was remembered as a lover of animals and a talented, fast skier.

"He could really book down the mountain," Clarke said. "When you saw him, you knew this was his turf. This was his element."

Friends said Engle enjoyed life in the Yampa Valley.

"He was the embodiment of why people move to Steamboat," friend Jake Illian said. "To mountain bike, ski and have a good time."

Many of the stories shared were of stunts Engle pulled, including crashing a car on a test drive when the accelerator stuck and driving a motorcycle through a friend's house at a party.

"Dave always took everything as far as he could," friend Todd Matheis said. "Life just became more boring without you."

Engle was cremated, and his ashes will be spread in the places he loved around Steamboat, family members said.

- To reach Zach Fridell, call 871-4028

or e-mail zfridell@steamboatpilot.com