Obituary of Roger Dinsmore Steele

Roger Dinsmore Steele, 71, of Daleville, VA, died peacefully at Roanoke Memorial Hospital on Father’s Day, June 18, 2023.

Born on November 26,1951, to the late Anita Martin Steele and Thomas Dinsmore Steele (Dixie), Roger and his siblings – the late Linda F., Garrick, and Carelyn – were raised in Catawba, VA, on Lynn Brae Farm, where Roger developed his passion for cattle and horses.

Roger attended North Cross School in Roanoke and graduated from Culver Academies in Indiana, where he led the Black Horse Troop in the 1969 presidential inaugural parade. At the University of Virginia, he graduated from the McIntire School of Commerce, served as the mounted cavalier, and co-captained the polo team. Roger was an avid UVA sports fan and season-ticket holder for more than four decades.

Roger and Linda Lucas were married 45 years and raised Evan, Molly, and Austen on their farm in Daleville, VA. Roger’s grandsons are Hampton Steele, Bode Steele, and Pierce Gregory; his sister-in-law is Carol Whiteside.

Roger’s life revolved around family and friends, producing quality livestock, travel experiences, and the competition and camaraderie from polo, including a match in England, with the now King Charles III.

Roger was an entrepreneur, real estate investor, and award-winning cattle rancher. Alongside his father, TD, the duo expanded their purebred Black Angus operation from Virginia to Mill Brae Ranch in Kansas until it was dispersed in 2018. Over the past three decades, Roger and elder son, Evan, built a sizeable stocker/feeder cattle operation, now headquartered in the Shenandoah Valley. Roger and Evan were named Virginia’s Cattlemen of the Year in 2021.

Our family is grateful for the brilliant medical professionals and miracles of modern medicine provided by Blue Ridge Cancer Care, Carilion, Duke, The Glebe and Amedisys.

In lieu of a funeral, a family visitation will be held Friday, July 7, 3-6 p.m. at Simpson Funeral Home, Peters Creek Road, Roanoke.Donations in Roger’s honor can be made to the University of Virginia Athletics Foundation (PO Box 400833, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4833), Virginia Polo Fund (1082 Forest Lodge Dr., Charlottesville, VA 22903), or a charity of your choice.