I've read the many messages on this tribute page for Steve, which have made me smile as well as shed a tear. They capture Steve so well, and show the huge number of friends that he had inside & outside government. It goes without saying that Steve is one of the most distinguished and impactful colleagues that I have ever been privileged to work with. Through sheer determination and talent, he rose from modest beginnings in the civil service. I remember him well as a very young man indeed, bustling about the building with folders and messages, very cheerful with his ear stud and (if I remember correctly) dyed hair. That made him a like-spirit for me, also with earring and multi-coloured hair (yes, it’s true!).
 
But Steve was destined for greater things, and when I arrived in Local Transport in 2013 he was already a legend. For many of DfT’s partners in local government, the highways sector, and other local transport fields, Steve simply was the DfT – in my view the best ambassador we ever had. His relationships with key players, especially at the “coal face”, meant that he could influence things like no other – designing and shaping policy, delivering fabulous outcomes and, perhaps most impressive of all, working his socks off to ensure that places in difficulty due to adverse weather or other problems, were given the maximum support possible. When everyone else was struggling, Steve was the man who could sort things out, using his amazing network of contacts, his creative problem-solving skills and his “calm in a crisis” manner. For example, when Cumbria was hit with a succession of weather-related crises, Steve was up there like a shot, dealing with local MPs and senior officials, giving them the attention they deserved at a perilous time. Steve was the most senior government official on the spot, and he received personal thanks at the highest levels.
 
Steve was brilliant with ministers, who loved his straightforward, can-do approach. He always brought solutions, and was a genius at making ministers happy with the service he provided. He knew what they wanted, sometimes better than they did themselves.
 
The recognition given to Steve by HM The Queen, in the shape of an OBE, was richly deserved. There have been many other public accolades, describing Steve as visionary, passionate and committed. Steve was never the back room operator – he was always out there in the front line, meeting, encouraging and cajoling partners to get things done and accept necessary change.
 
Since I retired, I’ve thought about many colleagues with fondness, especially as the past 12 months have been such a formidable challenge for the civil service and it has, as ever, risen to that challenge magnificently. But Steve has had a special place in my thoughts. His professionalism, work ethic, inter-personal skills, creative thinking, stakeholder management, good humour and sheer niceness provide an example that, frankly, no one can match. He had a beneficial impact on local communities to which few if any in DfT could aspire. Knowing Steve, he will have responded to his diagnosis with the usual fortitude and resilience – a superb colleague and friend who inspired us all. RIP, mate, you were the best. Graham Pendlebury (ex-Director, Local Transport, DfT).