I used to always be a big detractor of Irwin. I was always annoyed by the fact that he seemed to go out of his way to handle tons of animals that simply didn't want to be bothered. But as I watched some of his show within recent years, and found out how much work he had put into his animal sanctuary, I gained a lot of respect for him.
Creepily enough, I was watching several weeks ago and I couldn't help but postulate to myself that "It's a wonder Steve hasn't been killed with all the stuff he does.."
God bless and protect him, his family, and the work he left behind.