there are only a few days until we will lay stephen to rest - but i wanted to share a little more about him here before that happens.
he was the manliest man you would ever meet. no airs or graces. just man. he was always busy, tinkering around in the garage, cleaning something or sweeping up. he was such a hard worker and i know it killed him to have to give up work when he got too unwell, and to eventually lose the movement in his hands at the end. being so fiercely independent made it so hard for him to ask others for help, even when the time came that he had to. he appreciated the doctors and nurses at sir charles gairdner hospital so much and always spoke so highly of them and their care. they really made him feel welcome and comfortable during his time there.
he had an undeniable love for classic rock. he always spoke about classic rock. not this "new crap" the old, real music. ac/dc was his all time favourite and he never ever let this one go... years and years ago when i first began working in the funeral industry i was walking from one of the funeral chapels to the main gate when i had a man approach me asking me if i knew where he could find bon scott. i answered saying,"um, does he work here?" turns out, which i had no idea of at the time, he was the lead singer of his precious ac/dc and has a special memorial area at the fremantle cemetery. he made sure to tell that story to anyone who would listen, at any opportunity he got.
he loved his grandchildren like mad. even though they drove him nuts touching things and moving things and being children, he was crazy about them. he loved to tell them stories about poop and farts and make them giggle loudly at the most inappropriate times.
when baby alex arrived, steve only had eyes for him and was given the immense pleasure of being the first one to see him walk when i had popped out to the car one day... he didn't do it again for a few weeks!
he told me a few times in the past months that he would love us to have one more baby - "a little girl!" he said, "i have always loved little girls!" oliveta keeps reminding me of that and telling me stephen said i need to have one more baby, but i think doug will take a lot more convincing! i love this photo of him and baby madeline, i have never seen him more happy in his life than when he became a grandfather.
he was so, so proud of doug and told me over and over how glad he was for the choices he had made in life and how lucky he was to have married me. he certainly knew how to make me feel good about myself.
he could be very wishy-washy about the church and the dedication it took to remain strong, but i know in his final days he was ready to return to his heavenly father. he spoke to us about the importance of remaining faithful and i know he wants that for his family and children, to be part of their eternal family and remain sealed to him and oliveta in the eternities. i will be so happy to be there with him.
above all, he gave me endless amounts of crap. it was like it was his life mission to tease me and we both loved it. he would remind me frequently about how he didn't like me when he first met me and wasn't that impressed, until i matched his sarcasm with my own, answered him back and gave it back as much as he was handing it out. it was then he realised he was stuck with me. i remember well that he always said his favourite shirt was the one that said, "international sarcasm society. like we need your support."
he loved opshopping as much as i did and loved it when i would take him with me. we would hunt out bargains together and loved showing them off to our equally unimpressed spouses when we returned from our trips. in fact, he still owes me 3 opshop trips and you better believe i will be taking them out of his estate. lol. i wish. but i also know if i did, he would be even more proud of me.
he always spoke so fondly of his younger years and his time in new zealand. i know more than anything he wanted to return there to visit one last time and i know he will be there with us every step of the way, when we have our family holiday there in a few years time. he asked us over and over near the end if we would go for him.
most of all, i love the way he cared for his wife. he did all the little things for her. made sure her car was ready, provided for her and was all a strong husband should be. i am so grateful he was a fine example for my husband, who works just as hard and provides for our family too.
steve and oli, young and in love in samoa. he would always tell us the stories of his life in samoa too and recalled them with such fondness. i know he would have loved to have made it back there too.
it's hard to believe that this little guy grew up to be all of that, but i am so grateful that i got to be a part of his life for so long. steve, i will always love you. i am so grateful i got you as my bonus father and will miss you each and every day. ❤
