PEMBROKE, N.Y. — Following the deaths of well-known attorney Steve Barnes and his niece, Elizabeth, people are reminiscing about their lives. 

“He was in the trenches. He dealt with attorneys every single day. You could text Steve from 5 to 11 at night and he’d call you back at 11,” says Robert Schreck, managing attorney for Cellino & Barnes Law Firm. 

Schreck says that Barnes’ impact goes well beyond his professional success.

“He was just a truly unique person in the sense of what he gave to others. He was very general, from a charitable standpoint, privately and quietly,” adds Schreck.

He says that Western New York as a whole will miss Barnes. He was a Buffalo man at heart, having started his firm here. Even after experiencing great success in New York City, Schreck said that Barnes never thought about leaving Western New York. 

“Steve consistently 100 percent said, ‘I will never leave Buffalo. Buffalo is the mothership. We will never abandon our roots,’ ” says Schreck.

He explains that Barnes’ niece Elizabeth will also be greatly missed. 

“She’s a tragic loss. She will be missed tremendously. She left an impact on this community at Orchard Park where she went to high school. She lit up a room when she walked in,” says Schreck.