In the last installment of this series, we had returned from a memorable trip out east. I stayed home with our young son for 2 years doing freelance art and teaching calligraphy classes, but needed to get back to full time work. My best friend from college Miki (Japanese lady who married a Kokomo farm boy with blonde hair and blue eyes) worked at Ayres as a Creative Director. We had been in each other’s weddings and remained best friends. She got me a job and I started at Ayres the fall of 1985 in production, at first pasting up the newspaper and catalogue ads and then moved on as a layout artist, designing pages. That is where I met CJ Woods, III who has the column “Words from Woods” in this publication — he was my boss then.
Steve was soon transferred to the East Washington Street Library. The neighborhood was poor with a lot of rentals. “Ladies of the Evening” (or should I say the Day) would meet their clients in the library parking lot. The ladies would come in and ask for health-related books. Many of them were pregnant and Steve actually organized a pre-natal class for them. The vice cop working the area wanted the head librarian to have her husband pose as a customer to find out where these ladies were going. I don’t think it ever worked, but it was definitely a colorful location. Right behind the library was the first school I had taught at 12 years before.
We always tried to take a family vacation in the summer, but I remember two summers in a row we didn’t, when our daughter was in junior high. She went to a summer program at Purdue — called the STAR (seminars for the talented and academically ready) program. She had to take the SAT and if the score was high enough, she was invited for 2 weeks to live on campus in a dorm with other students from all over the state and take college prep classes. They had her use the same English textbook that Steve had used in grad school. Later, she was probably the only IU student who left a Purdue banner over her bedroom door (back at home, she wouldn’t have dared in Bloomington). We are very proud of her.
In the summer of ’88, Steve flew to Mission Viejo California (50 miles south of LA) with his Dad to visit his uncle (21 years older than his Dad). One of the historic sites they saw was Spanish Mission San Juan Capistrano (founded in 1776). They had a good time, except for the terrifying ride to the airport, with his Uncle Bernard, who was in his mid-eighties, and insisted on driving. He had a lead foot!
We had good friends, Debbie and Don Marsh (both have now passed) who had lived on Michigan St., near Emerson. Their son was a couple years older than our daughter, and they had a daughter a little more than a year younger than our son. They moved to the suburbs after their daughter was born, afraid she would get hit by a car, living in the city, and so close to a busy street. They hadn’t been there long when their only son David, who was between his prom and graduation from Warren Central, was tragically killed in a car accident the day before Mother’s Day, May 13, 1989. He was a passenger in a car and his friend was backing out of a driveway on Brookville Rd, right where it goes from being a major state road 52 to a street with driveways. It was late on a Saturday night and foggy and there was a little hill that kept the oncoming car from seeing their car before impact. David was killed instantly. He was a wonderful young man and quite the artist. He was planning to go into the Marines, and the Marines had a flag ceremony at his funeral. Debbie and Don called us at 1 a.m. and we rushed to their house and stayed up with them all night. They didn’t want to wake the grandparents with the news until morning light. It’s the worst night Steve and I ever had. We were in shock and so heartbroken, we could barely function. I remember helping Don unload the dishwasher to keep busy. I had gone to grade school with Debbie and the two of them helped us with every big family party we ever had. Both were excellent cooks and Don was an incredible baker and cake decorator. Don’s best childhood friend, Tom Scott lost his daughter Jill to Leukemia exactly 3 months after, July 13. David and Jill are buried near each other at Washington Park.
That next Spring someone dumped a litter of kittens behind our barn-like garage. When Steve went to get the lawn mower out of the garage, it was full of kittens. Nine kittens to be exact. I thought it had to be more than one litter, but the skinny black mother cat showed up with them all still wanting to nurse. There was every color you can imagine. We found homes for all but one (pick of the litter) and named her Fantasia. She had black and white tuxedo markings and was very sweet.
For Steve’s 40th birthday, I had a surprise birthday party (July 31st). The house, back yard, and porch were all full of friends and family. I recently watched a home movie of the event and had completely forgotten I had “Nurse Good Body” (i.e., an exotic dancer) surprise him. He thoroughly enjoyed himself!
The next summer, we decided it was time Chris went to Disney World. Steve’s Aunt Margaret (his Dad’s older sister) lived in Florida near Disney World and her son-in-law was a musician there and could get us in the park free at least one day. Steve’s Aunt Margaret was a gracious lady, who reminded me of Olivia De Haviland (she lived to be 99 years old). Her lavish condo association had a visitor’s apartment for guests like us, so we stayed in style.
I had saved $750 for the trip, which nowadays would barely get you one day with a family anywhere, let alone Disney World! The kids had a great time, but the place was crowded and the lines were long. Epcot was a newer park and my favorite (like going to a World’s Fair). After two long days, we had heard that the newly opened Universal Studios was not as crowded, because many of the rides were not open or not working. We decided that was the place for day 3. We loved Universal, with its movie themes. The crowd was so much less. The set for Psycho was a favorite and we saw films in 3-D.
Before we left Florida, we went to Daytona Beach, where our teenage daughter wanted to go. I had never seen cars driving on a beach and we thought it very dangerous.
The following summer, we hadn’t planned a big trip but our friend Jan was taking her daughters to Boston to see the grandparents. Neither her husband or Steve could get the time off work, so we decided to ride together and we would visit my sister Gail. Our daughter flew out (her first time to fly) because there wasn’t room in the car (as a teenager, she was so thankful not to ride cross country in a backseat with three little kids). The car broke down in Ohio, so it wasn’t an easy trip, but we had a great time in Boston.
One summer after Steve’s Dad retired, they went to Gettysburg and Monticello just the two of them. Pop loved history too, but Steve’s Mom liked the sun, so their vacations were almost always to Florida. I remember Steve saying he got pulled over while driving, because he was going too slow! Steve said after his Dad passed away years later, he wished he could have taken him to the Alamo and Custer’s Last Stand.
Steve always loved the Indy 500 and was quite the expert. He even took a Donald Davidson class and impressed him with his knowledge. He had gone with his Dad to the 500 when he was a kid. Steve took Mary Beth in ‘86 (they were excited Rahal won). Then his friend Bruce took him in ‘90. By ‘91, Steve’s Dad had started working at the track; he was a Yellow Shirt (security) at the track during May, so Steve decided to do it too. He got to be up close and see all the action. When I worked in Hook’s Advertising (after Ayres closed in ‘92), we got to go to a Marlboro suite during Qualifications (air-conditioned, open bar and lots of food). Steve and our son Chris got a tour of Gasoline Alley. While I worked at Hooks, we also got VIP media passes to Pacer games with 4th row seats on the floor and VIP food, beverage and parking. These perks can really spoil you from doing it any other way. We got to see Reggie Miller play many times.
Our son Chris was in Scouts for 9 years and our daughter was also in scouts 9 years, but not overlapping. Steve accompanied Chris on a couple camping trips. Steve was NOT a camper and he insisted on sleeping in the back of our van.
Steve’s Dad worked at The Star News for many years and the company had a park for their employees called Fourth Estate, with swimming pools, shelters with fireplaces and a playground. The whole extended family went there for every Memorial Day, 4th of July, summer birthday, and Labor Day picnics. Many years of wonderful cook-out memories — like the time we set fire to the dry grass with the hot aluminum foil blowing off the grill — it took the whole gallon of iced tea to put it out.
Next Time: Halloween Parties!
Steve’s Celebration of Life will be Sunday, May 1st at Oakley Hammond Funeral Home at 5342 E. Washington St. with visitation from 1-3:30 p.m. and service at 3:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers. donations to the Weekly View, 195 N. Shortridge Rd. Suite D, 46219 in his memory will be greatly appreciated.
