Today has been a hard day. A really hard day.
That’s not to say that everything was sunshine and roses with him. He went through hard stuff just like anyone else. But he didn’t let the bad outweigh the good. Ever.
He had his share of health problems in recent years. More than his share. Every time he went in for a routine dental procedure, he ended up in the hospital. It got to the point where I’d cringe whenever I heard he had something wrong with his teeth.
But the man seemed to have more than a cat’s nine lives. He came out of the hospital or rehab facility and he kept on living life to the fullest.
He loved – and I mean LOVED – boating and being on the water. Several years ago he bought a pontoon boat and docked it at Hoover Reservoir just up the road from our neighborhood and he and his love, Meg, spent summers puttering up and down the Reservoir. Vince and I were frequent guests and we’d enjoy snacks or dinners as we talked while Vince took lots of photos of the sights and sunsets.
Whenever Meg wanted to do something else during the hot summer days (like, say, work…or plant a few flowers in their yard…or y’know, grocery shop or do the odd load of laundry), she’d stay home to get those things done. But Steve would send out a notice on Facebook inviting any and all friends to join him on Hoover. There were days I’d swear he was out on the water three different times with three different groups of friends.
The man did not stop.
Last winter he studied for his Captain’s boat license. And he passed. So we started referring to him as “Captain.” Meg came up with personalized license plates for them both. She was his First Mate. And Steve was looking forward to another summer on Hoover – but he also was busy making plans for boating in Florida during the cold Ohio winters.
He had many cherished friends from many walks of life. He had a loving family – a son and daughter, and two precious grandchildren. He had a brother and sister with whom he was close. And he had Meg. He loved her most of all.
And everyone loved him. My Vince loved him. He so enjoyed Steve spontaneously stopping over to sit on our patio to talk while Vince cooked on the grill or built a fire in his fire pit. They both discovered a shared love of Rita’s Italian Ice – and they’d take off for Rita’s on the spur-of-the-moment. Sometimes they’d even bring back a frozen treat for Meg and me.
When Vince passed away last April, Steve came over and gave me the longest hug as we both cried. And every time after that whenever I saw Steve, he continued to give me those long, comforting hugs. The care and friendship Steve and Meg showed me during that incredibly difficult time were beyond description and I will forever be grateful for the love and support they gave me.
I can’t think about living in my old neighborhood without thinking about Steve. During my many walks with Maggie Minx, we’d sometimes see Steve outside. He’d yell, “MAGGIE!!” and she would get all riled up. She’d bark and jump and try to get to Steve. Sometimes he’d laugh and tell me that now I had to deal with her…but sometimes he’d come out with a doggie treat – so she knew it was worth getting all riled up about seeing her buddy Steve.
Steve had a daily habit of going to breakfast most every morning at a neighborhood spot in Westerville called Gena’s. There was another neighbor, David, who also went there, and invariably on my early morning walks with Maggie, I’d see either one or both their cars heading out of the neighborhood. And I knew they were going to breakfast at Gena’s.
Steve would sit at the breakfast bar so he could talk and laugh with the owner and her mother while our other neighbor David would sit at the far end of the breakfast bar reading the newspaper and enjoying his breakfast. Neither of them drove together to Gena’s. They didn’t sit together. Sometimes they didn’t even talk. It was just their morning routine.
The night before I moved this past December, Meg and Steve asked me to come over for dinner and invited me to stay overnight at their house. They knew the movers were scheduled first thing in the morning and, by that point, I didn’t really have anything in the house that made for a restful sleep. Like a bed. Or sheets. Or towels. Everything was packed up and ready to go.
So I gladly stayed with them. After dinner, I had to head back to the house to get rid of the last of the things for the trash pick-up in the morning. I was a little frazzled, so Steve, Meg and two other neighbors, Barb and Dave, came over with large trash bags ready to give me a hand. Within a short time we had everything bagged up and brought down to the curb and – when my driveway got too full (and I worried that the moving truck wouldn’t be able to fit!), Steve and Dave moved some of it to their own driveways.
They made it so easy for me – and it was but one small example of what a wonderful neighborhood I was leaving behind.
Anyway, with that chore handled, we went back to Steve and Meg’s. She and I stayed up late that night drinking wine and talking while Steve headed off to bed. He said if I was up for it (and didn’t stay up too late talking and drinking), he’d take me to Gena’s for breakfast in the morning.
That sounded like fun – so, even though I’m not normally an (A) morning person or (B) a breakfast person, I made sure I was up and ready for Gena’s.
And we had a blast! Steve, our other neighbor David and I were the only customers in the place. We talked and joked and generally had a wonderful time. For me – it was a nice send-off for the nearly 10 years I lived next door to such kind and generous neighbors.
And it is now a cherished memory.
The last time I saw Steve, he and Meg invited me and another neighbor, Pat, to dinner at one of their favorite restaurants in Grandview – Figlio and Vino Vino. Vince and I had joined Steve and Meg there several times and we very much enjoyed our evenings with them.
So I was happy to drive back to my old neighborhood and ride with Steve, Meg and Pat down to the restaurant. (Although I have to admit, it was a little odd parking my car in the street between my old house and Steve and Meg’s rather than just walking next door.) But the four of us had a lovely dinner together.
And I asked someone to take our picture – because Vince always asked for pictures for these kinds of gatherings and I am so glad he did. I have so many images now I can look back on and recall with fondness. So I’m trying to remember to take photos or ask for photos to be taken.
Meg – who is beautiful no matter what she wears or how she wears her hair – for some reason was not happy with her photo in the group shot, so she walked away as the server took another photo of just Steve, Pat and me.
And this is now another cherished memory.
My last communication with Steve was a text from him in late February asking me to think about what slogan to put on a new flag where he docks his boat. He liked one of my suggestions – “Live and Be Well” because Steve was always ending his posts “Stay well, friends.” Also Vince’s Aunt Sophie – who is kind and positive like Steve – would frequently say that phrase whenever she talked about someone.
In the end, Meg’s suggestion won out – “Life Savor.” And, really? That was the perfect slogan for Steve’s flag on the dock by his beloved boat.
So Steve? You will be incredibly missed by all who loved you. And I will miss you. I will miss your positivity and your enthusiasm. But I will try to emulate you and live life to the fullest. You set such a good example for us all.
Stay well, friends.
💔❤️. Beautiful, Jane.
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