He wanted to fly: H-E-B school trustee, family mourn loss of son stationed in Oklahoma

When it happened, Steven Beaulieu was feeding his competitive nature, cycling hard while training for his second triathlon.

That's all his family knows about the events surrounding his death Sunday along U.S. 283. The 31-year-old Air Force captain was on his bicycle when he was hit by a truck, a mile south of the town of Blair.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is still investigating his death.

Steven's mother, Faye, serves on the Hurst-Euless-Bedford school board. She said Tuesday that one of the hardest things to get over is the not knowing.

"He's put thousands of miles on that bike," Faye Beaulieu said in a telephone interview. "Everybody makes mistakes, but if you ever wanted to meet someone who had command of a bike, Steven did. We've got a lot of questions and not a lot of answers right now."

The bike wasn't the only thing Steven Beaulieu had a command of. He was the vice president of his graduating class of 2005 at Euless Trinity High School, where he received an international baccalaureate diploma. He graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2009.

As an Air Force captain assigned to the 54th Air Refueling Squadron at Altus Air Force Base, he taught airmen how to fly KC-135 tankers.

"From the ninth grade Steven set his fate," Faye said. "He wanted to fly. He put himself through the most rigorous academic programs and ran for every leadership position he could find, because he knew how important that would be to where he wanted to go."

His met his wife of three years, Jessica Lotridge, in the Air Force. She is an Air Force physician.

"They were the best three years of Steven's life," Faye said. "She was such a balance for him. She took this goofball guy and really broadened his horizons."

In a statement to KSWO-TV, 97th Air Mobility Wing Commander Col. Eric Carney said, "Our thoughts and prayers will remain with the family during this process. Our top priority is ensuring the welfare of the family and friends affected by this tragedy."

Matthew Martinez: 817-390-7667; @MCTinez817

This story was originally published February 13, 2018 at 10:45 AM with the headline "He wanted to fly: H-E-B school trustee, family mourn loss of son stationed in Oklahoma."