Oldest of Seven
Steve was the oldest of seven children. Our father had been a drill sergeant in the Marine Corps and he sometimes thought he still was with all the kids in the house! I think my father was very tough on Steve at times and he was expected to do a lot from an early age, which is probably why he always expected a lot from himself.
We were very close when we were young children. We enjoyed a childhood of neighborhood adventures in our small neighborhood in Holt Development in Hyde Park NY. We had a "huge" hill next to the house and spent hours sledding, many ponds in the back of the hood for ice skating and woods behind the house for exploring. We didn't grow up with much money but my parents always figured out a way to take us camping and we visited a lot of historical sites. Seven children piled into the back of a station wagon, with our blankets and pillows at 4am so we could get on the road and beat the non existent traffic.
Steve was a Boy Scout and an Alter Boy at St Peter's and then Regina Coeli. He always acted like the big brother which was not always a good thing. He and I butted heads a lot as we got older. He left the house when I was 17 to go to Notre Dame University. We were all sad to see him leave and had no idea he would never live back home again. We were all so proud of him. My father was so thrilled that he followed his footsteps into the Marine Corps and he beamed when he told people his son was a pilot.
As adults we didn't talk a lot but I always knew that he loved me and was there if I ever needed him. We reconnected a couple of years ago when our nephew Nik passed away. We talked into the early morning hours after a lot of drinking. I am so thankful that we did this.
He was a loving brother with a huge heart. He was very opinionated, like all of us Heidel’s are. He was very proud of our Irish heritage and his daughters! Over the last two years I only saw him for family funerals. After our nephew, we lost our brother Peter. The last time I saw him was during his visit for our mother's funeral last October. He was there as our big brother again each time, looking after us and caring for all of us. I told him he had to take care of himself and get better. We couldn't handle losing another brother. He did is his best and fought hard. During the last weeks of his life when he was still conscious he wanted to talk to his brothers and sisters often. Many times he was too weak to hold the phone but his mind was sharp and his sense of humor was quick. I am so thankful he wanted to speak to us so often. We miss you and love you. ~Cathleen Heidel Johannessen
