In Memoriam – Dr. Steve Beito
In Memoriam – Steve Beito, DPM
On October 5, 2021, we lost a truly great man and highly respected member of the New Braunfels community. Dr. Steve Beito will be remembered as a son, a husband, a father, a friend, a mentor and a compassionate physician to thousands of patients. As a very dear friend of his said, “I realize that the degree of pain that we feel for the loss of Steve is merely a reflection of the greatness of the man that he was. …The only thing that I can think of that can counter losing Steve is the opportunity to get to know him.”
Steve was born May 29, 1959 in Flint, MI to Lucille and Rodney Beito. At the age of 10 his father tragically passed, leaving Lu, as we have come to know her, to raise him and his older sister Terry. Three years later Lou married Harry Reisbich who became a central figure in young Steve’s life.
Steve graduated from Hamady High School and went on to Alma College where he found his interest in podiatry with the onset of foot pain. With this new interest, he attended Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine. He then moved to Texas for residency at UT Health Science Center in San Antonio. This was followed by an internship in New Braunfels and when that practice became available for purchase in 1987, he made his next major move and bought it. A fellow resident, colleague and good friend to this day remembers training with him and often working side by side as they built their individual practices. She said that he, “enjoyed the mechanical nature of what we do. Whether it’s figuring out angles in surgery or getting to the bottom of a bio mechanical problem, he liked reasoning out the etiology and solution.” This passion not only allowed him to start building a very successful practice, but to see joy in his day to day successes with patients.
In that same year, good fortune struck again and he met his wife Colleen on a plane where she served as a flight attendant. They dated for two years and were married on October 7, 1989. Their daughter Allie was born in March of 1993 and their son Mitch was born in February of 1999. For 32 years they worked side by side to build their dreams. They built a new office in 1995 and their dream house in 2004. During those years Steve continued mentoring several podiatric associates and in 2003 Dr. Jacob Ransom began working with NB Podiatry after completing his surgical residency in Boston at Cambridge Health Alliance.
Dr. Beito and Dr. Ransom worked together for 5 years after which time Steve offered Jake a full partnership. Jake jumped at the chance having learned much from Steve about building a patient base and the business side of a podiatric practice all while observing the consistent and exceptional care that Steve offered. Jake, like others, noted Steve’s true joy and sense of accomplishment in curing even the smallest of foot ailments to greatly improve a patient’s quality of life. Steve and Jake worked together for a total of 18 years having the utmost respect for one another’s strengths, innovations and the daily dedication to the discipline of podiatry and the patients they serve. Dr. Beito also leaves behind an incredibly dedicated office family that have unselfishly served NB Podiatry under Steve’s leadership and continue to strive to maintain the success of the practice in his absence.
His dedication and love for his family wasn’t lip service, it was true that they were his world. He learned unconditional love from his mother Lu and made sure that he demonstrated the same for his own family. Colleen will so miss this love and the simple joys like discovering a new restaurant together. One of his greatest legacies is his respect and love toward Colleen from which the kids could learn and on which they could always rely.
Steve was beyond proud to walk his precious first born Allie down the aisle in October of 2020. He was the first to see her in to this world and the first to see her in her dress on her wedding day, spilling many tears while feeling the ultimate joy on both days. Her now husband, Stephen, was immediately included in the love Steve gave when he asked for Allie’s hand in marriage. These will remain some of Allie’s most cherished memories. Allie also had the honor of working alongside her father for the last year as a member of the office staff, having a rare opportunity to see the 28 years of fatherly lessons in action.
Mitch remembers their adventures together. Hiking Zion National Park, shooting his first buck, fishing, watching football games and the calm of eating a good steak on the ranch while Steve shared his passions and Mitch found his. One of Steve’s greatest thrills was seeing Mitch off to McGovern Medical School this fall. The lessons he learned from his Dad about how to treat others, to be true to your word and an unrivaled work ethic will carry him through school and on to whatever specialty he may choose.
Steve had many qualities that will be so very missed. He was known to have the answer to every question and if he didn’t know, he would make sure to seek it out for you. The words that family, friends and patients used over and over again to describe Steve were: dedicated, hard-working, loyal, caring, loving, strong sense of conviction, reliable, wise, honest, leader and compassionate. Even the qualities that made him infuriating like his impatience, his need to find only the best and his questionable sense of time were the very things that made him successful. What stood out most about him though was his inquisitiveness about any and every topic. He loved the quote by Albert Einstein “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.” The moment we learned of Steve’s passing is the moment we realized that we don’t know exactly how to go on without him.
Steve is survived by his mother Lucille Reisbich, his wife Colleen Trei Beito, son Mitch Beito, his daughter Allie Beito Tarver and her husband Stephen. He is also survived by his sister Terry Munro, his nephew Ryan Munro and wife Stephanie and their children Berkley and Harrison. Steve is preceded in death by his father Rodney Beito and his stepfather Harry Reisbich.
A Celebration of Life for Dr. Steve Beito will be held on Monday, October 11 at McAdoo’s on the back patio at 6:00 pm. and will continue until 8:00 pm. The family asks that you wear something that makes you want to celebrate. This is not a funeral, this is a party to celebrate a life well lived!
https://www.legacy.com/amp/obituaries/batesville/200345455
