Steve Crosno Memorial

Memorial Tribute to Steve Cronso
Family, friends, fans will celebrate life of El Paso / Las Cruces radio innovator
El Paso County Coliseum
12 noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, September 10, 2006
Program of speakers to honor Steve at 2 p.m.

With the endorsement of his family, a respectful, yet powerful and moving memorial tribute to the late Steve Crosno has been organized by friends and fans to honor the El Paso/Las Cruces region’s most famous radio personality.
Over the course of about fifty years, Steve Crosno not only entertained his audience, but was a radio broadcasting innovator. Crosno used production techniques, comedy, and music in English and Spanish to create a unique force that has been much-imitated, even far beyond the reach of his radio broadcasts, but never equaled.
The memorial at the El Paso County Coliseum on Sunday, September 10, 2006 will appropriately recognize and honor Steve Crosno’s importance to his community. There will be an area for a processional with a traditional memorial display of flowers, candles, and a large photo of Steve where attendees may pay their respects. They may then proceed to a display of memorabilia with radio artifacts, posters, photos, and attire associated with Crosno.
Throughout the memorial there will be selected music, a continuous multi-media photo presentation, several videos produced especially for the occasion, and photos from throughout Steve’s life and career accompanied by comments made about him by many of his adoring fans. At 2 p.m. a formal program of speakers to recognize and honor Steve Crosno will include El Paso and Las Cruces public officials, clergy, dignitaries, family, friends and fans.
The organizers of the memorial are offering members of the general public an opportunity to participate in the event as honorary ushers. Those interested may pick up a Steve Crosno Memorial Usher form to fill out at all El Paso and Las Cruces area Kinko’s. The number of ushers will be limited and not all persons filling out the forms may be chosen. Therefore, participants will be asked to explain in a sentence why they believe they should be selected as an usher. They will also need to purchase an official Steve Crosno Memorial t-shirt to wear at the event. Prospective volunteers may contact Yvonne Sapien-Sanchez at (915) 861-1069 for more information.
For additional information about the Steve Crosno Memorial event contact George Reynoso
at 915-594-9900.

Steve Crosno Memorial Fund

My apologies for not posting any information sooner … but as you can imagine the news of Steve Crosno’s death left most of us in a state of shock and numbness. By now most of you have seen the outpouring of eloquent comments that are being posted hourly at http://www.stevecrosno.com/, http://www.crosnoblog.com/ and a beautiful tribute graphic page can also be seen at http://www.101gold.com/steve_crosno.php

Let me begin by saying that I have been deluged with phone calls and email from friends, acquaintances, and strangers from all over the world and the country inquiring about funeral services for Steve. At his own request, Steve will be cremated.

I am proud to say Steve was one of my oldest and most cherished friends. For this reason, the Crosno family has chosen me to organize and pay proper spiritual tribute to an individual who was so important to the heritage of our community.

I say ‘thank you’ to those who have offered heartfelt condolences and offers to help in any way. However for now, at the request of the Crosno family, the plans are for a simple, dignified and elegant spiritual service.

I said “simple,” but how could anyone ever be prepared to organize a simple event to pay homage to a giant such as Steve Crosno? I must first secure the suitable facility for the thousands of mourners that will surely want to attend. That issue is already being addressed. I can only speculate that Steve Crosno’s spiritual service will be announced in the next 5 to 10 days. All media will be notified.

In the meantime, for those of you who couldn’t help Steve in the final years of his life, your contributions will be appreciated to help defray the costs of the myriad of expenses left behind. As many of you know Steve was challenged not only medically but financially. Your money will also help cover the costs of cataloging, archiving, & storing his treasure of personal possessions. Any remaining funds may be utilized for the formation of a future Steve Crosno Foundation at a future date.

The account is the Steve Crosno Memorial fund can be accessed at

Citizen's Bank in Las Cruces http://www.citizenslc.com/
505 S. Main
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88004

The account is under his sister: Linda Crosno Falen
For the Steve Crosno Memorial Fund

Routing #: 112201289

Account # 0065157208

Thank you for the immediate internet response that has brought so much comfort to the Crosno family at this difficult time.

Again, the public memorial is pending, so we ask Steve’s friends in El Paso/Las Cruces, the U.S. and all over the world to be patient while we prepare a suitable tribute.


George Reynoso

The passing of Steve Crosno

Steve Crosno tribute: click here www.stevecrosno.com

It is with a heavy heart that I report the passing of our dear friend Steve Crosno. Although those of us closest to him at the end, knew that death was imminent, the news is still difficult to bear. He meant so many things to so many different people for many different reasons. He touched us all. It would be impossible to accurately capture the depth of this loss here. As Sonny Melendrez so aptly said in an email to me a few hours ago ..."He died with the knowledge that he was loved by so many." I said my goodbyes to Steve about a week ago and I can tell you that he was at peace and he was ready to make the transition. Despite the unfortunate and uninformed speculation that I heard recently, let me set the record straight. Steve died from advanced emphysema and a recent terminal cancer which had spread beyond an inoperable tumor. To complicate matters, his kidneys were damaged two years ago when he allowed a urinary tract infection to go untreated for lack of money or health insurance. The cancer treatment was likely too much for Steve's fragile condition to handle and he died peacefully in his sleep at his home sometime Saturday morning. His body was tired and he let go. The coroner has ruled Steve's death from natural causes. Steve's personal challenges and condition in these last few years triggered myself, Carlos Flores from Premiere entertainment, Attorney Enrique Medrano and many other volunteers to do what we could to help someone who had given so much to us. You see, Steve gave me my first job in commercial radio and helped launched my career in an industry that has offered me some degree of success and much of my identity. So for me it was easy to offer-up any resources available to me ... hence the Crosno Tribute CD. Perhaps in the days to come some journalist can truly capture the meaning of Steve Crosno, this unique, gifted, complex, unselfish and kind soul who has now departed. We will miss you Steve. Rest in Peace. We will meet again.

Former El Paso celebrity Sonny Melendrez, now in San Antonio has started a tribute page for Steve on his personal website. To get more information and postings on the life of Steve Crosno go to: www.stevecrosno.com

Other announcements pertaining to services for Steve will be posted here as details become available.