Steve 'Floyd' Wahl

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Wahl, Steve "Floyd" aged 65 passed away peacefully with his best friend, Shaunna Gulsvig at his side in the early morning hours on April 28th. With his passing, nephews and nieces will miss his boisterous personality thundering to the party on his Harley Davidson; siblings will miss a brother that survived and redeemed his life after their own unsettled beginnings; friends will miss a fellow misfit, all in leather, riding off to Sturgis; Aerosmith will have lost their number one fan; all will miss his phone calls. Floyd was very open and honest about his drug and alcohol years in how it shaped him and ultimately in how he knew it would take him. He was very proud of the fact that except for a later diagnosis of Hepatitis C, he left all of it behind in his early thirties. He retreated to the north country and rebuilt himself amongst a close knit community of motorcyclists, musicians, barbershop clientele and many others. He stayed connected to and supported individuals who struggled with substance addictions, and made frequent visits to animal shelters to express affection towards the abandoned. He discomposed folks when at their first meeting when climbing off his bike, sun-soaked skin beneath long wavy hair, dressed in black, smelling of an asphalt road speaking through a stubble chin seasoned grey, he'd gruffly introduce himself, "my name is Floyd. How do you like me so far?" and then disarm them with a mischievous smile, handshake or hug. In all this, he revealed that true to his very nature and heart, he was always in for a good time, and recognized deeply the importance of being loved and accepted, no matter what road you were on or where life had taken you. An informal gathering will be held for friends and family on Wednesday May 3rd from 3:00-5:00PM at the Cremation Society of Minnesota, 4100 Grand Avenue, Duluth MN 55807. Please come and share your thoughts and experiences with such a wonderful soul.

Published on April 30, 2017