Carson soldier recalled as selfless leader, hero, 'damn fine man'

Six-year-old Andrew Stivison stood tall to receive the folded flag, returned the general’s salute, and then hugged the flag to his chest, a reminder of a fallen father who was known for his bear hugs.

Staff Sgt. Glen Hale Stivison Jr. loved the Pittsburgh Steelers, John Wayne, karaoke, Johnny Cash, and Oreo cookies. But most of all the gentle giant loved his wife, Eryn, and sons William Blaze, 8, and Andrew, friends recalled at his funeral and burial on Monday.

Stivison, 34, died in Afghanistan on Oct. 15 when a roadside bomb exploded, killing him and three other soldiers. It was the fate that he tried to save fellow soldiers from.

As a combat engineer in the 4th Engineer Battalion stationed at Fort Carson, Stivison’s mission was to clear roadside bombs, first in Iraq and then Afghanistan. Maj. Gen. Frank J. Grass described it as “the most dangerous mission, even more dangerous than infantry,” before he presented Stivison’s family with his Bronze Star among several awards.

“He did it because it was who he was. He was a man of character, one of the finest heroes I’ve ever had the honor of serving with,” said Capt. Heath Papkov, who is on a brief leave from his deployment in Afghanistan. “He was a professional, a leader, and a damn fine man. Leading from the front was not just a phrase to him.”

Through tears, Papkov said Stivison was the model for a non-commissioned officer, leading and mentoring the soldiers in his charge, and using his 13 years of military experience to help guide the officers above him. He was the guy in control. No one worried about him because, whatever the situation, he could handle it.

Loved ones said he carried the Army motto of “selfless service” to all parts of his life, whether he was whipping up a pot of chili to share or fixing someone’s deck.

He and Eryn worked tirelessly to improve their unit’s family readiness center, Papkov said, and often showed up with a giant crockpot of that famous chili to feed the troops, creating a sense of family and hospitality.

“You two are more perfect for each other than anybody I know,” Papkov told Stivison’s widow during the service.

Stivison’s uncle, Cody Leaver, said that instead of saying “hello,” Stivison’s standard greeting was “What can I do for you?”

And he meant it.

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