Thank you all... Steven's group has now grown beyond 250 strong and I'm seeing a ton of his pictures as profile pics. So many of us were disconnected, or never connected at all, but now we are. I've received a lot of messages since I started this group, learned some things which I'd like to share in the format of a top 10 list...

10. I've been a comfortable Facebook lurker for years. This group is what we should be using FB for. Thank you all for sharing and adding to it, making it a special place to honor Steve.

9. This is no exaggeration, as a fellow soldier, reading Steven's accomplishments in the Army is legendary. In basic training, we sing songs while we march about the best of the best, and Steven was all of that. I worked the back lines, with the command group, but I never met a more hard core soldier during my 4 year career than Steve was.

8. Mr. and Mrs. Redd, Steven's parents, have a whole lot more courage than I do! I didn't know Steve had so many siblings... my wife and I stopped at 2 because we were terrified to be outnumbered!

7. Some of the best friendships in life are formed before high school. We've all experienced it when we see our old friends after so many years, it's like time didn't pass. Conversely the loss of Steve made me feel more grief than I could understand. I almost didn't create this group because I didn't feel it was my place, but I noticed others were hurting, and I thought we could grieve together.

6. The town many of has left, and hated, and joined groups here on FB to detest... the AV... really wasn't bad at all. I'm proud to have been raised there, especially because of the amazing people I grew up with who shaped who I am today.

5. I've learned Steve was consistent. The same Steven I knew was the same to everyone, boy or girl, stud or dud, everywhere he went, even as time passed. I got to know Steve the best when he and I were two of the very few boys in the Piute PALS program. This was a peer assistance group and we got to talk openly and differently than when we played football together. He never changed, always stayed grounded.

4. I've learned my father worked closely with his father and when I told him about Steve's passing, it hurt him too.

3. I imagine 20 year class reunions at AVHS and QHHS are going to have more meaning next year.

2. Mr. and Mrs. Redd, Steven's parents, wow.. what an amazing job you did. Thank you.

1. Apparently Steve was pretty nice looking!

Miss you Steve... I hope the big man upstairs has a Facebook account for you to check this out.

August 12, 2011

On Feb 7, 2012 there were over 550 people who joined this group.