Deceased April 19, 2015
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In Memory
Most clearly, we remember Steve’s smile, a big, broad thing of beauty. Steve loved to smile. And we loved the times we smiled with him during our days at Amherst, and regretfully, less frequently in the days since we left. During our days at Amherst, we shared many smiles with him, and we think he would want us to smile now as we remember him, even as we mourn our loss.
Steve had many interests, many passions, many reasons to smile. He was a dedicated, loyal friend, classmate and fraternity brother. He was proud to be part of Chi Psi and part of Amherst College, to uphold the ideals of the fraternity and the school, to bring honor to both in ways that many then and many now never understood. Steve loved the traditions of both the College and the fraternity—the songs, the rituals, the sense of connection to students who came before and after him. Steve loved history—his own family history, the College's history, American history. We remember long conversations—as Steve might say, long after the Student lamp dimmed and Paige's horse had passed by—talking about the old Amherst photos, of our connections to them, the examples they provided for us, and potentially, idealistically, wistfully, the examples we might now provide for others. Steve reveled in meeting and getting to know alumni like Hugh Reeves, Class of 1940, and loved mentoring and getting to know those who came after us. It gave him a sense of his place in the world.
We remember Steve as a romantic and a gentlemen devoted to sentiment. He idealized relationships, sometimes falling short of his romanticized visions, but his sincerity and his classic features served him well, and his set-backs in pursuit of love were temporary. We vividly recall Steve sharing some dating advice: "Always play James Taylor when you are around your girlfriend. Constantly. That way, if she breaks up with you, JT’s music will be ruined for her, and that will be justice for breaking up with you." Of course he was joking. And we now find music more meaningful based on our friendship. That was Steve—thoughtful, complex, funny, making life richer for us.
We also remember Steve as a complex thinker. He enjoyed analyzing world affairs, arguing about philosophy and didactics, debating literature, teasing out ironies, solving puzzles, creating puzzles for others to solve. He loved a practical joke, but never one which would humiliate, the more complex the better. He had an eye for detail. Planning costumes for themes parties, serving as treasurer for campus organizations, shoveling snow at the Dickinson homestead.
Steve was an athlete. He enjoyed the physical exertion, the competition, the team aspects, and the College pride. He proudly wore his Williams rugby jersey around campus, his prize for beating the rivals. He also ran track and was s speedster on the flag football team.
After Amherst, Steve moved to California for law school and we drifted apart. In our sporadic conversations over the years, we know he loved his family, loved the outdoors of California, and loved the best aspects of practicing law. The same passions and ideals that he shared with us at Amherst carried through his life. We mourn him as we say farewell to a friend who brought honor and joy to the people and institutions with whom he shared his life. And who shared his smiles, his great, enthusiastic, classic smiles. We all pray for his family and we hope he is at peace.
William Connolly ’88
Arnold Spencer ’88
August Vlak ’88