Steve Salcedo, a registered nurse from Freeport, New York, has passed away, leaving behind a community of colleagues, friends, and loved ones who are struggling to find the words to describe what his loss truly means.
He was a graduate of Freeport High School, class of 2011, and later earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from SUNY Farmingdale. He is survived by his three children, his brother Akin Hurdle, and other members of his family.
Those who knew Steve describe him not simply as a good nurse, but as the kind of person who made everything around him better just by being present.
He worked at Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, where psychiatric nursing demands more than clinical skill. It requires a rare and sustained kind of human warmth.
Steve had that in abundance. He showed up every single day with patience, steadiness, and a genuine care for the people in his charge, many of whom were at the lowest points of their lives.
A Lifeline to Those Who Needed It Most
Godfred Ankomah, a fellow nurse who met Steve during their time in nursing school and later worked alongside him at Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, shared a heartfelt tribute that captured what so many felt.
He remembered Steve as someone who treated patients with dignity and respect, never loud about it, never performative, simply consistent.
In a field where compassion can wear thin under the weight of long shifts and difficult circumstances, Steve never let it show. He made the hardest days feel lighter, not through grand gestures, but through his calm and reassuring presence.
Patients felt safe with him. Coworkers trusted him completely. That combination is not something every healthcare worker achieves, and those who witnessed it firsthand say it was effortless for Steve. He did not seem to be trying to be a great nurse. He simply was one.
A Father Who Lived for His Children
Outside of his career, Steve was deeply devoted to his three children. Everyone who knew him says the love he had for his kids was impossible to miss.
He spoke about them often and with unmistakable pride. His family was not a background detail in his life. It was the center of it. He showed up for them the same way he showed up for his patients, fully and without reservation.
Maryory Sanchez, another person who knew Steve, wrote that to know him was truly a blessing.
She remembered his kindness and the laughter he brought into the lives of those around him, describing his passing as something she still could not believe.
Steve Salcedo grew up in Queens, New York, built a life in Freeport, and spent his years giving generously of himself to everyone he encountered.
He was fluent in both Colombian Spanish and American English, and those who knew him across different communities all seem to say the same thing: he made people feel seen, heard, and cared for.
His children, his family, his patients, and his coworkers are all the lesser for his absence. He was, as those closest to him agree, one of the good ones. Rest in peace, Steve.
