Steve was the reason I moved to Florida. There was almost nothing that he couldn't do once he made up his mind. He was not the one to take the road less traveled. Steve was the one to bulldoze a freakishly massive trail through the most impossible terrain, simply because someone said he that couldn’t do it. He was strong, both mentally and physically. He was incredibly smart and unbelievably talented. Steve built cars, and houses, but I think he most liked taking things apart! Whenever he fixed something (which was often), I would ask what was wrong. He would open his hands to show what he said were “extra parts”. That’s what he always said was the problem “extra parts”. He went from building kilns and developing his own slab-roller, to making pottery and even jewelry that was usually beautiful, but sometimes humorously odd. (Odd, it’s a family trait. We can’t fight genetics.)
In the 6 years or so I worked with him, I learned just how amazing he was. Whether it be a how, why, why not, or just an opinion, he was always patient enough to explain things in the best way for me to truly understand. (If you know me at all, you know I have a LOT of how, why & why not’s floating around in my head.) During the time that we worked together, he gave me something most rare, his trust. Having his trust and knowing he believed in me gave me confidence to do things I could never have considered on my own.
He was the most talented person I've ever known. I just can't understand how he can be gone.