Remembering Tom; services scheduled for crash victims

COEUR d'ALENE - On Monday, Orofino Mayor Ryan Smathers was still trying to shake off the shock he felt at the news of Tom McTevia's death.

Smathers and McTevia, originally from Orofino, were lifelong friends. Smathers said he considered McTevia a brother.

"Even in a wheelchair, he touched more people's lives and walked taller than most people," Smathers said. "He's going to be missed."

McTevia, 42, of Coeur d'Alene, and Tina Hoisington, 45, of Lewiston, were killed Sunday when the ATV in which they were riding went off a 2,000-foot cliff at Bernard Overlook in Bonner County. McTevia and Hoisington died at the scene.

"I'm at a loss. He was an amazing man," Smathers said. "It's kind of a double hit for us because Tina worked at the credit union I managed for 15 years. She's part of the family too and was just an amazing woman."

Smathers said he clearly recalls the day 11 years ago when McTevia broke his neck in an ATV crash.

McTevia was working as an officer with the Orofino police department at the time. Smathers said McTevia's hospital room was filled with dispatchers, officers, friends and family waiting for the man to regain consciousness after 12 hours of surgery. When McTevia did wake up, Smathers said he surveyed the solemn room and immediately began making jokes.

Smathers told The Press about a camping trip he took with McTevia along the North Fork of the Clearwater River several years ago.

McTevia refused to let anyone help set up his tent, and the only thing he allowed Smathers to help with was taking a photo when the job was done.

"He said 'OK now I'm going to sit in front of this and I need you to take a picture because I'm on this blog and I want to inspire these other people who are inconvenienced,'" Smathers said. "He was constantly trying to improve the quality of life for everybody."

McTevia's efforts will be seen by countless individuals this summer at Tubbs Hill. For the first time, residents and visitors using wheelchairs will be able to use a new 1,500-foot trail - specially designed with a 5 percent slope - to view Lake Coeur d'Alene.

"He just absolutely felt so passionate about that project," Smathers said. "He missed being able to walk in the outdoors, so he at least wanted to still experience the outdoors."

Parks and Recreation director Steve Anthony said McTevia was one of the major advocates for the trail improvements, and the community will miss his involvement.

"He was very reasonable and had the best interests of the disabled community at heart," Anthony said. "He wanted to make sure that everybody had access to recreational activities."

John Kelly, of BikeCDA, told The Press Monday that he and McTevia were brothers in the profession of law enforcement and served on the city's Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee together.

"Tom had a servant's heart and will be a friend truly missed," Kelly said.

McTevia volunteered in the Coeur d'Alene Police Department's records department. Supervisor Becky Mumford said when McTevia learned Mumford and her husband were in law enforcement, a long-lasting friendship was formed. McTevia was more than a volunteer in the records department, Mumford said, and will be missed by everyone.

"Tom was an active person who enjoyed the outdoors - spending many hours on his UTV, handcycle and kayak," Mumford said. "He was a compelling voice for the wheelchair-bound community. He and his son even took our son camping with them. He was someone you could trust with life's most precious treasure, your child."

She pointed to the February issue of Live Well CdA magazine, a Press publication in which McTevia summed up his outlook on life.

"I don't like the word 'handicap,' I don't like the word 'disability,'" McTevia said in the cover story. "Disability is a state of mind, or it's a broken-down vehicle on the side of the road.

"I'm minorly inconvenienced," he continued. "Every person on this planet has an inconvenience, and it is all in how you approach it."

By Monday afternoon, details on memorial services for McTevia and Hoisington had not been finalized.