A lot of people wish for a last day or a chance to say goodbye to their loved ones. At the end of October I was blessed with just that. Stefan made his final trip home to Charleston from KC. I knew things were worse Stefan had always been pretty short about his symptoms and struggle with cancer. I began messaging Cindy Locknar Savage and told Maddie we had to get it together. We paused our lives right there it was time we put everything aside and make the visit happen. I took off she flew in and we met in Ozark. It was a beautiful visit, it was exactly what needed to happen. We gossiped, caught up, laughed in person for the first time in way too long 3 way calls and zoom only go so far . We even made it to Lavaca to Steffy’s pizza, went on a liquor store run (dry Franklin county
) , and stopped by CHS for old times sake. The goodbye at the end of the day was so hard but I had one good last hug and I felt at peace. I had hoped Stefan would hold on until Christmas and anxiously planned my next trip to see him but that wasn’t in God’s plan.
Stefan was one of a kind, he was himself 100% of the time . He and I grew up together at Sacred Heart we were even baptized on the same day as infants. We used to call each other spiritually bonded siblings. He wasn’t afraid of a challenge or change in life and never met a stranger. Everyone he met loved him and I know he has thousands of friends but he was one of my first friends. As we grew into teens Maddie, Stefan, and I were inseparable. As teens we loved to go on drives, see way too many movies, and mostly occupy one house or the other as a group eating all the good food and being way too loud . Stefan always hated leaving when Maddie and I had sleepovers.
We had some crazy farm parties and made a lot of questionable decisions.
Somehow we grew into responsible adults. I’ll never forget getting homesick and coming to UALR for him to cheer me up. He helped me plan a wedding and was there to keep me together the whole day and night before. He made it a point to meet both of my girls. He was always the best with babies .
Oh how I am going to miss him and how my heart literally aches for his parents, sister, family, and many friends. How thankful I am for salvation, our last visit, and his eternity pain free.
