Steve ""Stavros"" Metros

Steve Christopher ""Stavros"" Metros, 85, devoted husband, proud father and grandfather, loyal friend and brother, retired Denver Police Captain and fervent patriot, passed away due to natural causes on May 30, 2015. Born October 3, 1929, in Denver, Metros was a lifetime Coloradan, the son of immigrants – a Greek father, Chris, and Slovenian mother, Therese. He attended Cathedral High School prior to joining the U.S. Navy and serving his country during the Korean War on the submarine chaser PC 579. He joined the Denver Police Department in 1956 and began his career walking a beat in the Five Points neighborhood where he grew up. In 1960 he married Kathleen Wirtzfield, who preceded him in death in 1981. Steve remained devoted to his wife until the day he died. He kept her memory alive through his story telling and the night before he died there were twin rainbows visible through the window and he said ""Look at that, Kathleen is getting excited for me to join her in heaven."" During his 41-year career with the Denver Police, Steve steadily ascended through the ranks and commanded a wide variety of police operations, including the Career Criminal Unit, Special Crime Attack Team, Internal Affairs Bureau, Intelligence Bureau, District 3 Uniform Station, and the Crime Laboratory. He retired in 1996. Steve was a graduate of the FBI National Police Academy. He was a member of many civic and law enforcement agencies including the U.S. Navy Patrol Craft Association, the FBI National Academy Associates and the J. Edgar Hoover Center for Law Enforcement. ""Steve was of the generation of command officers who came up through the ranks, walking the beat, no police radios on the officer's belt, very dangerous situation – the guy just walking alone – and Steve did that with honor,"" said John Weber, retired Denver Police Commander. ""Later, he was a hands-on leader, mentoring young officers. Ethics were paramount in Steve's career. He was a tough supervisor, but he treated people with respect and I never met a guy on the job who didn't like and respect him. He was also a very spiritual Catholic, and he displayed that in his daily life. He was a great family man, proud to be an American, proud of his military service and he loved the police department. It wasn't a paycheck to him, it was a profession."" Mike O'Neill, retired Denver Police Commander said, ""Steve was a very significant presence in my life. He was a remarkable coach, mentor and tutor. He was demanding but very fair. Most of all, he led by example and had an incredible reputation as a police officer. His first six years, he walked the Five Points beat when it was still in its heyday as an entertainment mecca but had a tough underside. He loved that assignment. He was one tough cop, but highly respected by the residents there because they knew he was there for their protection. He did absolutely everything above board, with honesty and integrity. I worked for him when I was a new detective and it was a tremendous formative experience. We executed a lot of search warrants and Steve was most likely the first one through the door. He treated us like his own kids and we were all so much better off for it. He left a wonderful legacy – a devoted police officer who invested his entire life in his kids."" Following his wife's untimely death in 1981, Steve raised three wonderful children who, along with his two grandsons, were his pride and joy. Those who knew him best knew virtually everything about his family. He was not shy about recounting their athletic, educational, professional and personal accomplishments. Nor was he shy about dispensing advice, offering strong opinions and 'interjecting' when others tried to get a word in edgewise during lively debates in weekly café outings with his pals. But he never failed to ask, 'How can I help?' when someone else was in need. He never failed to ask how your family was doing and actually listen to your answer. And he never met a charity solicitor who couldn't talk him into writing a check. The effects of on-the-job injuries and subsequent surgeries robbed Steve of his mobility over the last 10 years, but his mind and sense of humor were sharp to the end, and at the very end, his last words and thoughts were of his family. Steve was a staunch supporter of law enforcement throughout his life and in recent years organized and sponsored regular educational luncheons at Piccolo's Restaurant attended by dozens of current and former police officers, district attorneys, FBI agents, community and business leaders, and private citizens. He recently spearheaded the successful effort to have his former partner Mike Dowd's death ruled a homicide in order that Dowd's name could be added to the Denver Police Fallen Officer Memorial. Years earlier, the partners had been involved in a shootout with an escaped killer during which Dowd was shot six times. Dowd passed away many years later due to complications from his wounds. Steve is survived by his son, Michael Metros, M.D. (Scott Spicher); daughter Mary Metros; daughter Christy Bougie (Curt); two grandsons, Stefan and Christofer Bougie; brothers James and Peter (deceased) Metros; several nieces and nephews and numerous other relatives across the United States and Melissi Corinthia, Greece. Steve was a member of St. Mary's Church in Littleton, CO. Please join Steve's family at a rosary on Thursday, June 4 at 7:00 p.m. at Horan McConaty (1091 S. Colorado Boulevard). A memorial mass will be held on Friday, June 5, at 11:30 a.m. at St. Mary's of Littleton Church (6833 S. Prince Street, Littleton, CO). In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Denver Police Orphans Fund, 1331 Cherokee St., Denver, CO, 80204.