OUR FIRST SPEAKER TODAY,
IS THE
HONORABLE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE
OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, MAGGIE
HASSAN.
GOOD DAY.
TODAY, WE COME
TOGETHER TO MOURN
THE TRAGIC LOSS OF A LEADER, A
BUILDER, A BRAVE SOUL, TAKEN
FROM THIS EARTH FAR TOO SOON.
STEPHEN ARKELL
.
DO HIS WIFE HEATHER AND HIS
DAUGHTERS, KIM AND LAUREN, TO
HIS PARENTS, MARION AND TOM, TO
HIS BROTHERS, JEFF AND DAVID, ON
BEHALF OF EVERY MEMBER OF OUR
NEW HAMPSHIRE FAMILY, I EXTEND
MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCES.
I KNOW THAT YOU ARE A VERY CLOSE
FAMILY, AND I CANNOT BEGIN TO
IMAGINE THE PAIN THAT YOU ARE
GOING THROUGH.
PLEASE KNOW
THAT YOUR ENTIRE
STATE HOLDS YOU IN OUR THOUGHTS,
AND PRAYERS.
AND WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU
IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN.
WE THANK YOU FOR SHARING HIS
LIFE WITH US ALL, AND ALLOWING
US TO SHARE THIS TIME OF MORNING
AS WELL.
TO ALL OF STEVE'S FRIENDS, LOVED
ONES, FELLOW OFFICERS, BRENTWOOD
NEIGHBORS, AND ALL WHO HAVE
JOINED US TODAY, THANK YOU FOR
BEING HERE TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE
OF A TRUE GRANITE STATE HERO
AND
A PILLAR OF HIS COMMUNITY.
HIS BRAVERY, AND
COMPASSION
REPRESENTED THE VERY BEST OF LAW
ENFORCEMENT, AND THE VERY BEST
OF HUMANITY, HE IS A CLASSIC --
CLASSIC SMALL-TOWN
-- NEW
HAMPSHIRE STORY, HE GREW UP IN
BRENTWOOD AND FORMED LIFELONG
FRIENDSHIPS, TOUCHING COUNTLESS
LIVES.
HE SERVED -- HIS SERVICE AS A
PART-TIME POLICE OFFICER WAS
--
SHOW THE DEDICATION HE HAD HIS
COMMUNITY AND IT WAS NOT
SOMETHING THAT HE HAD TO DO,
THEY TOOK ON THE ROLE WITH
STRENGTH AND GRAVY BECAUSE HE
VALUED THE FREEDOM AND SAFETY OF
HIS FELLOW CITIZENS.
HE WAS WELL-KNOWN AS THE KIND OF
PERSON WHO WOULD GIVE YOU THE
SHIRT OFF OF HIS BACK.
WHO WOULD DO
WHATEVER IT TOOK TO
STRENGTHEN HIS COMMUNITY AND
HELP OTHERS.
THIS WAS DEMONSTRATED IN STEVE'S
DAILY LIFE.
AND THE GOOD WORK SEE COMMITTED
HIMSELF TO, BOTH LARGE AND
SMALL.
AND THE WAY THAT HE COACHED HIS
DAUGHTERS LACROSSE TEAM, RIGHT
HERE IN EXETER HIGH SCHOOL WITH
HUMOR AND PASSION, INSTILLING
LIFE LESSONS IN HIS PLAYERS,
WHILE SPENDING TIME WITH HIS
FAMILY.
IN THE RESPECT AND LOVE THAT HE
SHOWED FOR HIS TOWN -- WITH
FREQUENT STOPS AT THE COUNTRY
STORE TO BUY HOMEMADE DOUGHNUTS,
AND PICK UP FOOD FOR STRAY CATS
-- STRAY CATS THAT HE CARED FOR.
AND HE APPLIED HIS SKILLS AS A
CARPENTER, BUT ONLY TO SUPPORT
HIS FAMILY, BUT ALSO TO HELP
BUILD MUCH OF THE FOUNDATION OF
HIS COMMUNITY.
AS I
HAVE SPENT TIME IN THE LAST
WEEK WITH STEVE'S FRIENDS AND
LOVED ONES, I HAVE HEARD
COUNTLESS STORIES OF HIS WORK AS
A BUILDER.
ONE STORY IN PARTICULAR HAS
TOUCHED ME IN A PERSONAL WAY.
AT LAST WEEK'S CANDLELIGHT
VIGIL, I RAN INTO FRIENDS FROM
BRENTWOOD WHO KNEW STEVE.
THEY HAD A DAUGHTER, WHO LIKE MY
SON, EXPERIENCED SEVERE
DISABILITIES.
A FEW YEARS
AGO, SHE PASSED AWAY
AND STEVE
BUILT AN ACCESSIBLE
PATH BY THE RIVER THAT COULD BE
USED BY EVERY MEMBER OF THE
COMMUNITY, REGARDLESS OF
CIRCUMSTANCES OR PHYSICAL
LIMITATIONS.
BREE'S WAY
NOW TAKES ALL WHO
VISIT DOWN A BEAUTIFUL SCENIC
TRIAL -- TRAIL DOWN TO THE
RIVER.
IN BUILDING BREE'S WAY
, HE NOT
ONLY HONORED HER MEMORY, BUT HE
BUILT A TANGIBLE REMINDER OF
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A COMMUNITY.
AND HE BUILT A REPRESENTATION OF
HOW MUCH IS COMMUNITY MEANT TO
HIM.
-- HIS COMMUNITY MEANT TO HIM.
STEVE'S LEGACY WILL RIGHTLY BE
THAT OF A COURAGEOUS HERO, WHO
ANSWERED THE CALL OF DUTY, AND
GAVE HIS LIFE SO HIS FELLOW
CITIZENS COULD LIVE THERE'S IN
PEACE -- THEIRS IN PEACE.
HE WILL ALSO BE REMEMBERED AS A
FATHER, A HUSBAND, A COACH, A
NEIGHBOR, A FRIEND, A BROTHER, A
SON.
AS A LOCAL LEADER, KNOWN TO ALL
AS A KIND AND CARING
SOUL.
AND AS
A BUILDER WHO STRENGTHEN
THE FOUNDATIONS OF HIS COMMUNITY
WITH HIS OWN TWO HANDS.
THE HOLE
TORN IN OUR HEARTS AND
IN THE FABRIC OF OUR STATE
BY
STEVE'S LOSS WILL TAKE TIME TO
FEEL.
IT WILL TAKE US
LEANING ON EACH
OTHER AND LOVING ONE ANOTHER.
BUT THE VIBRANCY OF STEVE'S
LIFE, OF HIS WORKS, OF HIS
SERVICE WILL NEVER FADE.
HE IS WITH US HERE TODAY AND
WILL BE WITH US ALWAYS, WITH
EVERY GOAL SCORED
AND WITH EVERY
FOOT TRAVELED ON BREE'S WAY.
WE MUST TAKE THE LESSONS HE
TAUGHT US WITH BREE'S WAY
TO
ART, THAT WE CAN TOUCH OTHERS BY
SIMPLY BEING THERE -- TWO
HEARTS, THAT WE CAN TOUCH OTHERS
BY SIMPLY BEING THERE FOR OUR
COMMUNITY AND USING OUR TALENTS,
WHETHER WE ARE A POLICE OFFICER,
A COACH, OR A BUILDER, WE CAN
MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLES'S
LIVES.
STEVE WAS TAKEN FROM US FAR TOO
SOON, BUT WE THANK GOD FOR EVERY
MOMENT
HE SPENT ENRICHING OUR
LIVES AND WE PRAY FOR STRENGTH
AND COMFORT FOR STEVE'S FAMILY,
LOVED ONES, AND FELLOW OFFICERS.
STEVE, YOU ARE LOVED AND YOU ARE