A snowboarder with Rocky Mountain House roots who died in Montana was remembered for his zest for life by friends and family.
The Facebook page set up in memory of Scott Hornstra was filled with condolences and stories about Hornstra’s kindness, generosity and enthusiasm for sports and travelling.
Hornstra, 28, was found dead by rescuers early Sunday after he was reported missing at Montana’s Whitefish Mountain Resort. He had been snowboarding with friends, who reported him missing on Saturday after a run.
His body was recovered around 2:30 a.m. on New Year’s Eve.
Hornstra lived in Edmonton, but was originally from Rocky Mountain House, where he moved when he was two, according to his obituary.
He attended Will Sinclair and West Central High Schools before attending Vauxhall Academy of Baseball for Grade 12.
He was talented enough to attend Colby College in Kansas on a baseball scholarship and later Mississippi Valley State for a year. He won a number of baseball awards in the U.S., but also excelled at hockey, volleyball, basketball, golf, snowboarding and was qualified as a scuba dive master.
For the past six years he worked at Benedict Pipeline.
“Scott was a kind, generous and intensely loyal to his family and friends,” says his obituary. “He had a way about him that lead him to make good friends and be a good friend.
“Even if you had just met Scott, it didn’t take long until you felt like you’d known him for much longer, as life seemed brighter and better when you were around this young man.”
Brandon Petite wrote about the fun Hornstra and his friends had on May long weekends.
“Everyone deserves to have a friend like Scott. He truly was one of a kind,” says Petite.
Photos from Honduras and Thailand are an indication of his love of travelling and the ease with which he made friends.
There were many photos posted from teammates on his baseball teams.
One teammate called Hornstra “one of the most competitive ball players I had the privilege of playing with.”
In an extended post, Mark Clausen paid tribute to his friend.
Hornstra was an avid snowboarder and loved to travel, explore and go to concerts and sporting events, he wrote.
Clausen says Hornstra was snowboarding with friends on slopes that had just received 30 cm of fresh snow.
“I know he was with friends, it was a beautiful day, and that he was without question getting his fill of face shots.
“I can hear him hootin’ and hollerin’ on his way down.”
Clausen says Hornstra was a “fierce friend who showed loyalty regardless of the situation.
“I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time with Scott and witnessed firsthand his endearing love and enthusiasm for life.”
Hornstra is survived by his parents, brother and sister and life partner and numerous other family members.
A celebration of Hornstra’s life is taking place at 2 p.m. Saturday at First Christian Reformed Church at Rocky Mountain House.
pcowley@reddeeradvocate.com
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