I was one of the McAteer high school student government/cross country team gang. I knew Stephen mostly because of my older brother, Bryan Pentony, who generously introduced me to his group of friends who were all one year ahead of me, and who adopted me on faith, when I arrived at McAteer.
Stephen was an athlete and scholar, an impish, soft spoken, hard -driven principled conundrum and a leader.
Even then.
And even then, he was one of the kindest, most gentle, brilliant, emphatic warriors I would ever come to know.
Ever.
Stephen and I parted ways after high school, seeing each other for the first time in 40 years in 2018 at the 1978 McAteer High school reunion.
Then in September 2019, he, I, Selah Brown, Sarah Malerstein (Millstein), Dennis Millstein and my husband, Mike Hardiman, all came together for a reunion in Wisconsin on the banks of the Yahara River. We stayed up late (I mean LATE ) making Alexa play music from our high school years, battling, changing the songs back and forth, while watching an incredible mid west thunderstorm out the window and laughing and laughing and laughing and laughing (and yes, even dancing). The first night together we watched one of the zillion democratic presidential debates-not having a clue of what disease was brewing and the impact it would have on world history.
We cooked and ate good food, walked the dogs and hiked during the day; we boated, we watched the sunset and mostly we celebrated the chance to finally be together again as we were when we were young.
It struck my husband Mike, who had not known Stephen before, just as it did me, that Stephen was gracious, hard working, humble, funny, fun, tortured, kind, understated and a diplomat- a true leader.
He spoke of crying on the beach when he finally ended his tours of duty and he spoke of questions he had about his role. But mostly he spoke of the love he had for his two children.
Stephen was a compassionate thoughtful and flawed (he would say) hero. We had all planned to be together in September for the next reunion on Whidbey Island in Washington state. We had reserved an Airbnb and he was "in". If this virus doesn’t keep us home, we will be there to celebrate Stephen’s life, but this was not what we had planned....
With so much love appreciation, respect, and gratitude for his caring service to our world and the love and Stephen-ish grin he shared with us and so many. We were so very lucky to have counted him as a friend- and we understand clearly, just how many lives he has touched around the world.
Lisa Pentony