Wyatt Shorter Stevens

Wyatt Shorter Stevens, 54, passed away peacefully at his home with family by his side on Wednesday, January 10th, 2024, after a remarkable battle with brain cancer. He leaves behind a loving community of family and friends.

Wyatt’s extraordinary and inspiring approach to fighting cancer reminded everyone of the enduring character and grit that showed throughout his life. Wyatt rose early with great energy and a cup of black coffee, beginning each day with the morning paper, eager to earnestly represent a client, run up a mountain, or lovingly encourage his two daughters in their pursuits – and quite often, it was all three. Fiercely loyal and always inclusive, Wyatt made friendships a centerpiece of his life, whether it was through fishing, planning adventures, hosting a home-cooked meal, or sharing a book or podcast with a friend on his way home from work. Wyatt loved Western North Carolina in all its forms and dedicated his life to improving the region through community service and leadership.

Born August 7, 1969, in Asheville, NC, Wyatt Shorter Stevens was the middle son of the late John “Jack” Shorter Stevens and Imogene “Cissie” Radeker Stevens. Wyatt was a history buff like his father and proud to trace his direct lineage in Buncombe County back to 1820 when Henry Stevens came over the mountains from east Tennessee. Wyatt graduated from Asheville High School in 1987, and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science in 1991 and a Law degree in 1994.

Wyatt had a passion for the practice of law. He followed in the footsteps of his father and returned from Chapel Hill to his beloved Asheville to practice. Over 29 years, Wyatt developed his own successful career and helped build a formidable litigation practice at Roberts & Stevens, mentoring many young attorneys to become partners. His clients and opposing counsel alike valued his diligence, honesty, and ability to get along even when he might disagree. Wyatt also served on the board of Asheville Savings Bank from 2004 to 2018, providing his strong leadership and judgment to the board.

Wyatt loved giving back to the community of Western North Carolina. A long-time member of Trinity Episcopal Church, Wyatt served many years as an usher and on the vestry. Wyatt had a passion for the environment and conservation, serving on the boards of The Nature Conservancy of North Carolina and other organizations. Wyatt also believed deeply in helping the people of the region, devoting many hours to helping Mountain Housing Opportunities and Pisgah Legal Services. As both a board member and board chair, Wyatt provided strong leadership for years to Mission Hospital.

The first joy of Wyatt’s life was his family. He met his devoted wife, Kim Horstmann, in Asheville and they started dating in 1989, shortly after Wyatt graduated from high school. Their mutual love of travel took them hiking and fishing through Colorado in 1994. Wyatt proposed on the bank of a beautiful trout stream in Durango. In 2002, they had their first daughter, Katie and in 2006 Gracie was born.

Wyatt’s passion for travel and adventure was an integral part of the family ethos. There was wetsuit surfing in Ireland and a polar plunge in Glacier National Park, tightly holding hands with his daughters all the way down. But the soft, rolling mountains of Western North Carolina always called him back. You could often find the Stevens family hiking Black Balsam Knob or summiting Mt. Leconte with friends. Wyatt shared his love of these mountains with extended family, as well, spinning creative stories to distract his young nieces and nephews on many long hikes.

The family’s passion for music and performance brought immense joy and a deeper sense of community. Music was their happy place. Wyatt loved any live performance, but none more than watching his daughters on stage, where they performed countless plays and musicals with beautiful presence and poise. The family enjoyed performances from Broadway shows in New York to local bluegrass and Americana music throughout the Southeast. Even in the last month, Wyatt rallied his strength to don his tuxedo and cowboy hat and dance with Katie and Gracie in their living room.

Wyatt never stopped making new friendships and he invested in genuinely connecting with people from every stage of his life. His time with friends was generally spent on the go, whether running, hiking, fly-fishing, hunting, or skiing.

The man could run like the wind and his brisk pace and endurance were well-documented. He wore out more than one treadmill at his beloved YMCA, participated in the 208-mile Blue Ridge Relay race many times, and twice ran the grueling 17-mile Shut-in Ridge Trail run. He was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity at UNC, a founding member of an almost 30-year couples’ trip among friends to Charleston, and a lifelong Tar Heel fan who, like many of us, was convinced he could influence the outcome of a UNC men’s basketball game with his commanding voice.

He is survived by his loving wife, Kimberly Kay Stevens, and his mother, Imogene Radeker Stevens, his devoted daughters Katherine Kay Stevens, and Grace Elizabeth Stevens, his brother Brent Stevens of Charlotte, his wife Kelly and their children Jonathan and Ashlyn, and his brother Scott Stevens of Charlotte, his wife Jenny and their children John, Sam, and Ella.

A funeral service in celebration of Wyatt’s life will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, January 15, 2024. A reception will follow in Tuton Hall. The service will also be live streamed via a link on the church website trinityasheville.org.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to Mountain Housing Opportunities at https://mtnhousing.org/make_a_donation/.

Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian is assisting the family.