“He was such a kind soul, full of positive energy.”

This blog began with a series of posts about the ways that I grew during my life with Stephen. If you haven’t read those yet, please check out my Gifts from Steve series. These posts highlight some of my favorite memories and his best personality traits.

One thing that I found helpful in my grieving process was sharing good memories with friends and family. When I reached out to my friends to tell them the news of Stephen’s passing, I received some moving responses that brought tears to my eyes. Many people shared their impressions of him, and I thought this collection of writings beautifully captured his essence and the light that he added to the world. I thought it would be nice to share an assortment of them here. They all remain anonymous to respect the privacy of the authors.

I remember meeting Kirk a number of times and recall his passion and sense of adventure. However brief our encounters were, he was a person who made an impression.

Kirk made an impression on me the first time we met. I’m not a spiritual person or really think about people’s energy or anything, but for some reason I did feel his energy and kindness coming from him. I remember his smile and his eyes. I could tell how much he cared for you and how happy he made you feel. No matter how gloomy our cubes were at CNA, the day seemed to get a little brighter when our conversations would steer towards you getting to talk about Kirk. From my memories of Kirk, he was living in the present all the time. I am moved with how much there was of Kirk as a person – the experiences he had and the person people saw him for. Certified Tai Chi instructor? That’s amazing! I smile knowing that those experiences must have brought him so much happiness.

In the brief time I spent around Kirk, he was such a kind soul, full of positive energy.

I remembered the first time I met Kirk, he was full of life and very friendly.  After reading the obituary, it’s evident that he has that effect on people and you throughout his life. 

We feel so privileged to have known Kirk and experienced even a small slice of the radiant positivity that he brought to this life. His obituary so beautifully paints a portrait of the full life he led every day. It’s rare to witness someone who brings their full self to everything they do, and Kirk was genuine through and through. For my part, I will cherish the memories of watching Back to the Future together, the impromptu ride on the Chicago Water Taxi, and seeing both of you in LA recently. The love between you two is inspiring.

From the times I got to be with you and Kirk, he was such a warm, welcoming, fun, nice, and amazing guy.

I will miss Kirk’s gentle and kind heart. I enjoyed our interesting visits and his eagerness to share his passion for playing unique instruments when we did our overnight stays at your place in Jacksonville. He could also brew a mean cup of expresso! I loved the great little coffee menu he created for his guests. He worked so hard to make your house a beautiful and comfortable space, it was like visiting a museum of creativity with memoirs from all your fantastic trips! We always enjoyed the hospitality that both Erin and Kirk showed us.

My husband and I were blessed to attend Erin and Steve’s wedding. So much love and joy. Truly one of our favorite weddings ever.

We met Stephen and Erin a few years back and became fast friends over football and great conversations. My husband enjoyed their deep conversations while we watched football. Stephen was a lovely gentleman, who very clearly had a passion for life, exploring, learning and teaching. His love for Erin was so special to witness in person ❤️ He was funny, passionate and quick to offer a hug hello and goodbye.

Kirk’s obituary truly is incredible, and beautifully written. We had no idea about some of the stories and milestones of his being and his rare, very unique earthly journey. His presence and your love together enriched our lives. We loved witnessing your happiness together, and sharing in your love story in the small, simple ways we were able.