'He never lost his positive spirit': LMPD officer loses battle with cancer
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LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - There aren't many pictures where LMPD Officer Steve Wise isn't smiling.
"Even the criminals," his longtime friend and fellow officer, Pete Pastin said, "If you find somebody he locked up, I'm sure they'll you Steve made them laugh on the way to jail."
Kessinger told WAVE 3 News he considered Wise a maintenance man, not a janitor, because no matter what you needed, Wise would get the job done.
"He was a fixture around here," the Louisville Bats Operations Vice President, Scott Shoemaker told us. "He became the security person of all security people here because he was just a great guy."
He also spoke of Wise admirable work ethic, even when the cancer in his body told him to stop.
Saturday, a giant grinning Steve welcomed fans to Slugger one more time from the screen as the ballpark held a moment of silence for their life long fan.
"He was laughing and waiving at people," Pastin told us. "And he goes, man if something happens to me ya'll need to
"He was a fine representation of LMPD, " Pastin said.
"Steve always wanted to make people feel better and that was pretty remarkable too. You take that courage and wanting to make the world a better place by making people feel better, you've got a pretty remarkable man," Stokes said.
The man in blue "never met a stranger", a Facebook post from the Louisville Police Pipes and Drums said.
A Facebook message from the Louisville Metro Police Foundation said Officer Wise had battled cancer for the last two years. Throughout, he never lost his sense of humor, calling himself "Chemo-Sabe" and continuing to work on days he could, the LMPF post said.
Each day he worked, he would write a positive, inspirational message on the training board and never let his diagnosis bring him down. He was 'a rare gem who never lost his positive spirit.'
"Steve was a long time member of our Bats family for over 15 years. His persona around the Louisville Slugger Field was one that never met a stranger, and would always make you laugh or smile," Louisville Bats Vice President of Operations Scott Shoemaker Sr. said.
"He was a 'truly' a member of our team, that would do anything for anyone no matter who they were or nor matter what it was, and no matter when it was. He will truly be missed, but we know he is in a better place and no longer suffering."
In a message on Facebook, the LMPF said: "There wasn't a person around who didn't love Steve. Please keep his wife Lynn and the entire Wise family in your thoughts and prayers."
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