Wednesday, March 20, 2024
My friendship with Steve began when we were both going to the Harrington Park, NJ elementary school in the mid 1950’s. Although we went to separate High Schools, we remained in close contact and, after graduation, we both joined that communities voluntary fire department, where Steve’s father was Chief of the Fire Prevention Bureau. After college we both entered into our compulsory military service, Steve with the Air Force and me in the Army Tank Corps. We were discharged just a few weeks apart and I decided to pick Steve up at the Lowry Airforce Base in the Denver Colorado area. I had a brand-new VW Karman Ghia, a very small two-seater coupe, and we used it to travel together for about a month, touring the entire western portion of the US from San Diego all the way up to Seatle, for the 1962 Worlds Fair being held there. After our return home we both continued to live in Harrington Park, and I went to work for the Bendix Corporation’s space program while Steve began his lifelong career with AT&T, in NYC, as did his father before him. Steve was one of the Ushers in my 1963 wedding party and we continued to live in the same north Jersey county. Over the next few years we often traveled together. Steve accompanied my new wife and me on a 2 week long car trip from NJ all the way down to Acapulco, Mexico in a bit larger 4 seater VW and on several cross country trips in a Cessna airplane that I owned in the 1960’s. In 1970 we traveled together to Spain and Portugal for an extensive road trip in a rented VW beetle and later, in the 1980’s he accompanied us on several ocean cruises in and around Europe. He always enjoyed exploring new places and experiencing new cultures. He fancied himself quite a gourmet in both food and beverage and always insisted on going “first class”. Although he dated some very attractive women he never married, which helped him to establish a very comfortable lifestyle. Steve took an early retirement offer from ATT in the mid 90’s and moved to a small home in a retirement community in the Tom’s River, NJ area. He always drove a new car and always had the latest I-phone, computer and large screen TV’s. He lived a very comfortable and envious life, being able to afford whatever he desired. Even though, by then, I had moved to Hilton Head Island, SC, and established my own consulting and non-destructive testing company, my airplane ownership and diverse client base allowed me to make many trips back up north and whenever I was in the NJ area I would make it a point to visit and spend time with Steve. We continued to travel, albeit it was often day auto trips to interesting historic points and restaurants in the tri-state area. Even after Steve had moved into his Independent Living complex in Lakewood, NJ, I continued to make visits, many in my large bus style motorhome, often staying at campgrounds minutes away from his abode. Our friendship lasted almost 70 years, something that is almost unheard of in today’s non-social environment. While I will miss Steve tremendously, the memories of what we did together will last me for the remainder of my lifetime here.
