 |
| Debbie Steplock, 14 October 1969 - 26 February 2019 |
On 4 March 2019 an LNVT Rendezvous was held in Casper, Wyoming, to support Lou Steplock, Pet Tug 37VT60, and to say goodbye to Debbie.
 | |
|
Lou asked Tom Blackwood, Thistle Dew, 37VT46 to speak at Debbie's memorial and to focus on her life afloat. This is the address that Tom gave on 5 March 2019, to 400-plus of Debbie's family, friends, and shipmates.
-------
Good morning,
I am a tugboater like Captain Steplock. My name is Tom Blackwood and I own a tug just like his. As I look before me I see a man, an apparent impersonator, because the Lou Steplock I know always wears the scrubs of a doctor, sadly worn deck shoes of a poor sailor, and has a rumpled train schedule stuffed in his back pocket. So who are you?
Inside, he has a mind of clarity, an unbridled passion to do good and a heart, that has been smashed, smashed into pieces....and if you could hear those pieces they're putting out a code, a signal: ... --- ... ... --- ... S O S Save Our Souls. And by gosh, the code has been heard. Here today are eight fellow Tuggers from as far east as the shores of Maryland and Atlantic waters and as far west as Seattle and Puget Sound filled with waters of the Pacific Ocean. So all of them, and all of us, are here, and answering that same call, and because there are so many, I have absolutely no doubt we can bring function back to that broken heart. And oh, by the way, it would be a big help in putting this repair team together: does anyone, anyone, know where we can get a good cardiac thoracic surgeon?
Funny thing about hearts, and this is a teaching moment, so Doc, you've got to pay attention, you might learn something, is that hearts like other hearts and this one more than liked. He, like each and every one of us, loved that massive heart of Debbie.
So let's get started on that repair. We all know Debbie, that's why we are here. She was the pretty girl, ahh, but more than that, she was the pretty girl that was nice to everyone. That's rare and that is special. She gave, gave, gave right to the last and now, though gone, she is continuing to give through all the organs and parts she was able to donate. [If I can pause for a commercial break, I'd like to say sign up today.]
But let's go back to boating. It took Debbie a little while to cotton up to this lot of Tuggers. That's Tennessee talk. Boating wasn't really her thing, but shopping was! So, how do we put the two together? Ah ha! There is an upcoming rendezvous of tugs in Seattle, right downtown and directly up from the docks is Nordstroms.
Picture this: The boats are gathered and we're all busy crawling over tugs and checking out engines when you glance up to see Debbie, on her return, walking down the dock. A bouquet of fresh flowers from the Pike Place Market cradled in one arm and the hand of the other toting one of those fancy, cord handled, crisp white shopping bags with gold letters on it saying....come on now....Nordstrom. She now thinks, "Tugging is for me. Yipee!"
In time we would see this play out again at some distant island. Lopez I think, in Fisherman Bay. For some reason Lou was absent and my job was to get her on an afternoon departing float plane, for some important reason, like, an opera that night in Seattle. The plane arrived. On this day Debbie was dressed in a summer outfit of pastel yellow, which coincidentally matched the yellow paint scheme of the awaiting Kenmore float plane, she carried a small case and sported a smart, very smart summer sun hat. And of course, madly stylish sunglasses. With such grace and poise she glides over the sun bleached timbers of the dock with her head high and shoulders back. As in the image of Marilyn Monroe there is a brief catch of wind at the hemline but nary a break in stride. Now coming her way is the Captain. He greets her in his professional, polished and rehearsed manner, takes her case and deftly guides her aboard. All's well until he sees me, dragging the rest of the luggage toward the plane. There is a bit of a sigh and he says "Oh, we have even carried canoes."
All settled in now, that throaty big radial engine of secure strength, starts up and the planes eases into a smooth water taxi. Debbie turns to look out the window, with eyes a sparkle, and oh how we know those eyes, gives her signature wave then the engine comes to roar and once again Debbie thinks, "I like this tugging stuff."
I must fast forward to say, in the end, she had her own, well broken in deck shoes, would get soaking wet in a dinghy ride, stand in the rain for a bus, or hop in the trunk of a Good Samaritan ashore offering a ride. She was the best and yes, without a waiver, Debbie liked Tugging..
So, as it was when that floatplane took to flight, we now wave good bye to you, Debbie, to watch you climb to greater heights, knowing you will go on, over the horizon and out of sight, to touch the hearts of oh so many more. Good bye.
And you, Lou, here we are, your mending team is in place. Let the landlubbers fill your arteries with strength and will and let your Tugger buddies keep the saltwater in your veins.
I'll see you back aboard Pet Tug, Petunia Tug, where the spirit of your First Mate ever waits.
And remember, remember.......every now and again, you're gonna have to take her shopping, listen to some piano music at Nordstroms, and when cooking aboard, in the galley, wear your pearls..
Tom Blackwood
Presented: 5 March 2019
Highland Park Community Church
Casper, Wyoming
No comments:
Post a Comment