Father. Husband. Navy man. Angus breeder. 

They’re simple words, but together, they paint an impressive portrait of a man who loved his family and the agriculture industry. When he retired from his position as the president of the American Angus Association Board of Directors, they were also words Thomas Dinsmore “T.D.” Steele used to describe himself. 

Though he left this world Aug. 7, 2024, his devotion to being a man worthy of those titles will allow others to celebrate the memory of what he stood for. 

Focus on leadership 

Steele was born Dec. 28, 1925, to Byron William Steele and Frances Pearl Ould Steele in Mullens, W.Va. 

Steele graduated from Culver Military Academy and Harvard University, serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II. While he was pursuing a master’s degree at Virginia Tech, he and his father founded Lynn Brae Farms in Roanoke. 

“He was a country doctor who bred pedigreed beagles as well as cattle,” Steele described of his father in an Angus Journal article published in 1995. “He possessed a lot of qualities and traits I respected, especially his drive for genetic improvement.” 

Steele’s wife, Dixie, and their children took on the role of valued Angus partners in later years — a truth Steele was proud of, as he knew teamwork was vital to a cattleman’s success. 

“No one person can have all the knowledge needed to manage a large purebred cattle farm,” he said. 

It’s likely that same philosophy that led Steele to surround himself with similar-minded people. He was involved in several professional organizations, serving as president of the Virginia Angus Association and American Angus Association Board of Directors. He was a founder of the Virginia Arabian Horse Association and the Catawba Ruritan Club, longtime member of the Salem Rotary Club and the Roanoke College Board of Directors, and chairman of the Certified Angus Beef Board. 

Leadership, however, was more than just a title for Steele. It was a chance to grow individually and make a positive difference. 

“It takes time, knowledge and willingness to think ahead for the benefit of the Association,” he said of his time on the American Angus Association Board of Directors. “A breed association must benefit the breeders and the breeds. Our association, as well as local associations, must serve the breeders — large and small.” 

In every decision he made as an Angus breeder, Steele was determined to leave a lasting effect. 

“Just as we continually work to improve our cattle, we must work to improve our breed, the beef industry and the environment in which we live and work,” he said.

Steele is survived by his wife of 37 years, Dixie; children, T. Garrick Steele and Carelyn Steele Sheppard; daughter-in-law, Linda; stepdaughter, Nancy (Greg); nine grandchildren; step-grandsons; and nine great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Byron and Frances; brother, Bryon William Steele, Jr.; daughter, Linda; son, Roger; stepdaughter, Ann; and son-in-law, Robert “Bob” Sheppard. 

There are titles every cattleman must take on. From cowboy to chemist, it takes a lot of hats to be a successful producer in the beef industry. But for Steele, it was the roles he happily took on — father, husband, Navy man, Angus breeder — that best represented him. 

As his family, in and out of the Angus breed, mourns his passing, there’s reassurance that the legacy he worked so hard to create will last for years to come.