When I reflect on my life with Stu, and then the last seven months without him, so many things come to mind. His heart, dreams, and accomplishments — but also the void he left. Don’t get me wrong: He could be a serious pain at times! He was incredibly determined and rarely swayed once he had a vision in mind. Yet that same determination was matched by deep passion and compassion.
Stu was a man whose quiet strength carried our family through some of the hardest seasons imaginable, whose off the wall humor lifted my spirits and all those around him, and whose intellect was never a burden or barrier, but always a gift he used to help others. He never sat still, continually thinking of ways to better our community, our church, our lives, and the lives of those around him.
We walked together through losses no parent should ever face. Three of our children went to heaven far sooner than we ever dreamed and I watched Stu wrestle with grief in ways that words will never be able to fully express. He carried so much pain, yet he remained strong and steadfast to allow me and the girls to grieve, and he never lost faith – fully leaning on and trusting in God.
