HEATHER,
KIMBERLY, LAUREN,
TOM, MARION, JEFF, DAVE
--
WE ARE SO SORRY.
I HAVE KNOWN STEVE FOR JUST
ABOUT MY WHOLE LIFE.
WE GREW UP TOGETHER.
WE WERE MORE THE NEIGHBORS.
WE WERE GOOD FRIENDS ALL THROUGH
OUR CHILDHOOD AND HIGH SCHOOL
YEARS.
WE REMAINED
GOOD FRIENDS EVEN
THOUGH AS WE GREW OLDER WE DID
NOT SEE EACH OTHER MUCH
, EXCEPT
DURING SHIFT CHANGE OR
DEPARTMENT TRAINING AND
GET-TOGETHERS.
OR WHEN HE WOULD STOP BY AND
CHECK ON MY MOTHER AND FATHER.
AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, WHEN I LEFT
HOME TO JOIN THE SERVICE, STEVE
WENT TO COLLEGE.
ABOUT EIGHT YEARS LATER, I
RETURNED HOME TO NEW HAMPSHIRE
AND BEGAN MY CAREER WITH THE
BRENTWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT.
STEVE CAME ON A FEW YEARS LATER
AS A PART-TIME OFFICER AND THE
ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER.
HE WAS AS DEDICATED TO THIS JOB
AS ANYONE.
STEVE WAS LIKE A SPONGE.
WHEN HE WOULD COME IN FOR HIS
SHIFT, HE WOULD ASK A LOT OF
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PREVIOUS
WEEK, SINCE HIS LAST
SHIFT.
HE WOULD ALWAYS GO OVER THINGS
WITH ME, BECAUSE HE WANTED TO
MAKE SURE HE WAS DOING THINGS
PROPERLY.
HE FOLLOWED UP ON EVERYTHING.
AND CHECKED WITH THOSE THAT HE
HAD DEALINGS WITH IN THE
PREVIOUS WEEKS TO SEE IF
THERE
WAS ANYTHING MORE HE OR THE
DEPARTMENT COULD DO FOR THEM.
MAKE NO MISTAKE.
STEVE CARE.
-- STEVE CARED.
STEVE LOVED HIS TOWN, HIS
COMMUNITY.
HE LOVED SERVING ALL OF YOU.
WHETHER IT WAS A LOST DOG, A CAR
ACCIDENT, A
MOTOR VEHICLE
VIOLATION, OR ANY NUMBER OF
THINGS, STEVE WANTED TO HELP.
AS POLICE OFFICERS,
QUITE OFTEN
WE MEET PEOPLE DURING THEIR
WORST MOMENTS.
ONE OF THE THINGS I ENVIED MOST
ABOUT STEVE WAS HIS PATIENCE
AND WILLINGNESS TO FIND
SOMETHING GOOD AND EVERYONE HE
CAME INTO CONTACT WITH.
--
IN EVERYONE HE CAME INTO
CONTACT WITH.
STEVE HAD A GIFT.
HE COULD CALM PEOPLE.
HE WAS EAGER TO WORK WITH PEOPLE
TO RESTORE PEACE AND DEAL WITH
THEIR PROBLEMS.
HE PUT IN MIND WHAT A PEACEMAKER
IS.
IT WAS NOT ABOUT MAKING ARREST
US OR RIDING TICKETS -- MAKING
ARRESTS OR WRITING
TICKETS.
IT WAS ABOUT TAKING CARE OF HIS
FELLOW MAN AND HIS COMMUNITY.
WHAT STICKS IN MY MIND MORE THAN
THAT IS HIS DEDICATION TO HIS
FAMILY.
TO BEING A LOVING, CARING FATHER
AND HUSBAND, SON, BROTHER,
FRIEND.
STEVE WAS SO PROUD OF HIS
DAUGHTER'S, LAUREN AND
KIMBERLY.
HE OFTEN SPOKE ABOUT HOW WELL
THEY WERE DOING AT SCHOOL AND IN
LACROSSE.
HIS FAMILY WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO
HIM.
STEVE WOULD OCCASIONALLY ASK ME
QUESTIONS ABOUT HAVING DAUGHTERS
, AS I HAVE DAUGHTERS MYSELF.
WHAT I FOUND OVER THE PAST FEW
YEARS IS THAT PERHAPS I SHOULD
HAVE BEEN ASKING HIM THE
QUESTIONS.
STEVE WAS A GREAT FATHER.
THE LOVE STEVE HAD FOR HIS
FAMILY WAS A BEAUTIFUL THING TO
WITNESS, BUT I'M GLAD I DID.
KNOWING STEVE, AND KNOWING THAT
I HAD STEVE AS A CHILDHOOD
FRIEND AND REMEMBERING ALL OF
THE TIMES WE SHARED TOGETHER, I
CAN TELL YOU I AM SO GRATEFUL
AND HONORED AND GLAD HE WAS A
PART OF MY LIFE AND TOUCHED MY
LIFE IN SO MANY WAYS.
I KNOW THERE ARE MANY
OF YOU
HERE TODAY THAT WERE TOUCHED BY
STEVE IN THE SAME WAY.
THIS IS A TREMENDOUS LOSS FOR
THE BRENTWOOD COMMUNITY, HIS
COMMUNITY OF LACROSSE PLAYERS
HERE AT EXETER,
AND THE POLICE
OFFICERS WHO HAVE GATHERED HERE
TODAY TO SAY GOODBYE TO A MAN
WHO MEANT SO MUCH TO SO MANY.
OUR LOSS WANES THOUGH
IN
COMPARISON WITH THAT OF HIS
WIFE, HIS DAUGHTERS, PARENTS,
AND BROTHERS.
THE EMPTINESS THEY WILL FEEL IN
THE DAYS AND WEEKS AND YEARS TO
COME THAT W
EIGHS HEAVIEST ON
THE MEMBERS OF THE BRENTWOOD
POLICE DEPARTMENT,
AND NOTHING
CAN REPLACE WHAT STEVE MEANT IN
THEIR LIVES.
IT IS WITH GREAT SADNESS AND
HEAVY HEARTS WE PRAY FOR HIS
FAMILY, THAT THEY MAY FIND
COMFORT IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT
STEVE LOVED THEM BEYOND MEASURE.
I LOVE YOU, STEVE.
UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN
, REST IN
PEACE, BROTHER.