An online fundraiser for funeral costs is in place for a Lehighton resident and Lehigh County Deputy Sheriff who died last week.

Steven Armbruster, 54, passed away from complications of COVID-19 on Dec. 23.

A GoFundMe (https://bit.ly/337i7OV) raised $6,535 as of Wednesday morning.

“Not only was he an amazing husband, but he was an amazing father and he helped many people,” Steven’s daughter Madison Armbruster said.

Armbruster served as a deputy sheriff from 2013 to 2021.

“Steve was a consummate professional and his low-key demeanor reflected positively upon the Lehigh County Sheriff’s Office,” Sheriff Joseph Hanna said in a press release.

Armbruster’s friends and co-workers shared memories of him on social media and through the fundraiser website.

“Steve had a very good nature about him,” Lenore Wagner, a Lehigh County court reporter, said. “Whenever I saw him in court or the hallways of the courthouse, smiling came very easy for me.”

Armbruster served in the United States Army, where he was presented with a Meritorious Service award and two Meritorious Achievement awards. He also served with the military police.

Memorial contributions may be made in his memory to the family c/o Schisler Funeral Home, 2119 Washington Avenue, Northampton, PA 18067.

Armbruster is survived by his wife Tara, daughter Madison and two sons, Steven and Samuel.