Shawn Travis Koltiska, 49, of Augusta, KS, passed away Thursday, January 19, 2017 in Des Moines, IA. Visitation will be Wednesday January 25, 2017 from 6 pm to 8 pm. Services will be held Thursday, January 26 at 2 pm. Both visitation and services will be held at Headley Funeral Chapel, Augusta, Kansas.
Shawn was a special New Years Baby, the first to be born in Sheridan, WY on January 1, 1968, to Sharon "Sherry" (Irion) Koltiska, of Lander, WY and the late Norman James "Jim" Koltiska. He attended schools in Sheridan and graduated high school in 1987. As a young man, he spent most of the time working side by side with his dad on the family ranch. He enjoyed ranching, farming and helping run the families thoroughbred race horses. You would always find Shawn outside whether it was working in the shop, fixing up trucks, driving tractors or riding horses, he appreciated the country life. During that time, he acquired a solid work ethic and strong values that he instilled and lived by throughout his life.
On November 24, 1990, he married the love of his life Rhonda Spaht in Rosalia, KS. On August 28,1997, they welcomed their son Kade Travis Koltiska. His greatest joy was spending time with his wife and son. Shawn was a proud loving husband and father, Kade was his greatest accomplishment and being a father his greatest reward.
He was devoted to his job and always strived for perfection. Shawn started his road construction career with Peter Kiewit & Sons in Wichita Kansas and excelled in the safety traffic control industry moving to Flasher Company Inc. in Wichita before moving on to Vice President at Road Safe for many years. He was General Superintendent at Traffic Control Services at the time of his death. He took great pride in the work he did and the friendships he had formed throughout his years of service.
Family was the most important thing in his life and he enjoyed traveling, playing golf and hanging out in his shop. Although his preferred activity was supporting and watching his son Kade play all sports which included many years dedicated to traveling to hundreds of baseball tournaments and watching Kade become a champion on the field and in life.
Survivors include his wife Rhonda (Spaht) Koltiska and son Kade Koltiska of Augusta, KS, his mother, Sharon of Lander, WY; brother, Scott Koltiska and wife Teresa of Rock Springs, WY; sisters, Tauna Powell and husband Les of Lander, WY; Jamie Lyons and husband Dan of Lander, WY; and Brande Koltiska of Casper, WY; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father Jim Koltiska, grandparents and a niece.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Kade Koltiska Educational Fund in care of Verus Bank, 2330 Ohio St, Suite A, Augusta, KS 67010.
The Sheridan Press - Jan. 24, 2017.
***********************************************************
DES MOINES, Iowa The Polk County (Iowa) Sheriff's Office identifies the passenger killed in an early-Thursday-morning taxicab crash near Des Moines as 49-year-old Shawn Koltiska, of Augusta.
A second passenger, Joseph 'Brian' Foster of Garden Plain, remains hospitalized, the sheriff's office says.
DES MOINES CBS AFFILATE KCCI REPORTS from deputies that the eastbound taxi van, from United Taxi Cab, ran a stop sign at a T-intersection and ran into the ditch and over train tracks just northeast of Des Moines. The van came to a rest in a ravine near the tracks in the crash reported about 4 a.m.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office says the taxi's driver, 29-year-old Mohamed Dirye, of Des Moines, was arrested Thursday evening, charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI), homicide by vehicle and two counts of serious injury by vehicle.
The sheriff's office says the crash remains under investigation.
"The roadway was wet at the time. There was some fog, but we're trying to determine if speed was a factor as well," Polk County Sheriff's Sgt. Brandon Bracelin told KCCI.
The Sheridan WY H. S. Alumni site - www.shsalumni.net