Years ago my childhood home burned down. Though I was an adult and had not lived there in decades, it had an affect on me. I remember crying at the thought of my childhood going up in smoke. Now, with the passing of Stephen I am again feeling a loss from my childhood, much of which was spent in that house with him. Growing up he and I were best friends. He was just two months older than me and was more like a brother than a cousin. We did everything together and were inseparable. I thought he was the strongest, toughest person I knew. But, at the same time he was the kindest and sweetest. We experienced the glee of childhood, the thrill of competition, the pain of loss of our brothers Robert and Brian, the nervous excitement of dating, and the support of each other’s dreams. After graduating I moved away and he and I drifted apart due to both geographic distance and that we were discovering new worlds as adults. But, we would see each other a couple times a year. And, despite the years that passed he remained the same sweet, playful, funny boy, just now in a man’s body. When Stephen got married I shared in his happiness. Vronda was and remained throughout his life a dear friend, which I know meant a lot to him. The joy they gave himhad four beautiful girls and I was touched to see a new side of him, in the role of a father. You could see the joy in his eyes when he talked about his girls. You could see his pride. Now, though I grieve his loss I know that I am not the only one. Stephen touched the lives of so many people, all of which will feel the loss deeply because of the love he gave. And, in staying true to form, Stephen left this world continuing to give endless love with the gift of his body. His donation is helping many to live and countless others to be able to improve their lives and health. He is a hero to all of them, as he was to me growing up. I will always love my “Stevie Brown who was a clown and rode a pony upside down”
