Thank you!
We (Donna, Kate, & Taryn) appreciate you stopping by this website to honor Stephen (Dad) and we look forward to reading all of your shared experiences with him.
From Donna: Although Steve battled heart disease for nearly ten years, he did not let it define him. His failing heart prompted him to pursue, with passion, activities including woodworking, sailing, and barbecuing. Although he knew that his life would be cut short by his heart disease, he never complained, never asked "why me?" Instead, he stayed strong and brave, inspiring all who knew him to live life to its fullest. I love you, Steve. I miss you.
“Option A is not available. So let’s just kick the shit out of option B.” - Sheryl Sandberg, 2016
From Kate: I am realizing as the weeks go by that what I miss the most are the very things that drove me crazy. I miss the overly embarrassing public displays of nonsense just for the sake of nonsense, the lingering hugs where he would whisper all the things he worried about me into my ear just as I was leaving from a visit, his complete inability to hide his thoughts because his expression would sell him out in a heartbeat to anyone paying attention… As we both got older (he always said men mature more slowly…), we began to read each other with fewer misinterpretations and developed a shared desire to better understand the others perspective. We were both looking forward, settling in to our new found cadence, and were eager to continue to grow together. While it wasn’t always an easy road for us, it was our road and it’s lonely to now walk it alone. I love you, Dad. The lessons I learned by your example and from being your daughter made me the defiant, fearless, independent, vulnerable woman (not a lady!) that I am and I will be forever grateful.
From Taryn: You were a complicated man, who took time to understand. You embarrassed the shit out of me pretty regularly, which ironically is one of the things I will miss the most. You taught me how to live life the right way, the fun way, by not giving a shit about what people think. Be confident. Laugh loud. Speak with conviction. Be the life of the party. Push forward, always with an adventurous spirit. I am overjoyed to know that everyone around you saw what I saw, an amazingly sarcastic, headstrong man with the gooiest heart.