In Memorial
Steven Thomas Rebec
May 22, 1950 - April, 10, 2004
My brother passed away this year from metastatic colon cancer. My mother held a memorial service out doors at a beautiful park in Santa Barbara. Many of Steve's family and longtime friends attended.
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| Mom and her sister, Clara, setting out the snacks | Russ and Luke Jones. |
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| Our cousins, Lisa Belezzouli and Vicki Stanfield. | Long time friend, Jack Chestnutt was a great help and comfort. |
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| From far left, Uncle Howard Sands and his wife Ernestine. Lorni's step-daughter Lauren and her mother Shar Keller. Barbara Reed in the red hat chatting with Rick . | Long-time friends James Vincent, Russ and Luke Jones and Luke's wife. |
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| The group in the cowboy hats are members of the black powder gun club. | Watching the black powder salute. |
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| The gun club honored Steve with a black powder salute. | A moment of silence. |
The eulogy I wrote for my brother
I’m Steve’s sister, Lorni. We are here today to honor Steve’s memory and celebrate his life. I’m going to talk a little bit about Steve and share some of my feelings and memories. When I’m done, I hope some of you will share your own story or memory of Steve.
All of us here were touched in some way by Steve. He was funny, he was generous. He lived to a high code of ethics and conducted his life with honesty, integrity and honor. He was a good friend, willing to give the shirt off his back. There is a saying “What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.”
Steve loved life. And he certainly lived a good and full one. It may have been short in years but it was rich with experiences. It’s a tragedy that he died so young but I tell myself that dying seems less sad than having lived too little. I take great consolation in the fact that he made the most of the time he had. Someone once said “You only live once, but if you work it right, once is enough”. I think that pretty much sums up what Steve was about.
Several months ago, when his decline was becoming more apparent and he could no longer do the things he loved, I spoke to him on the phone. I was feeling helpless and frustrated and I asked him “what can I do to help? I want to do something.” He said “Sis, go out and have fun. Ride your dirt bike and enjoy your life. That’s what you can do for me.” I think that pretty much epitomizes his philosophy. All his life he did exciting and wonderful things and never let anything dampen his enthusiasm. He and I had a pact that we would be riding our dirt bikes together when we were 80. Well, he obviously can’t be there in the flesh but death ends a life, not a relationship, so I know he will be there in spirit.
I’m his little sister. He streaked through my life like a comet across the sky and I stood in awe, caught in the radiance of my big brother. He influenced and shaped me in so many ways and he is so deeply ingrained in who I am, that he can never truly be gone from me. I discover bits of him in myself every day. A gesture or a phrase that comes directly from him. I talk loud. The joke was always that when he and I got together our voices would escalate until you could hear us all the way down the block. I love the outdoors. I love dirt biking and hiking and so many other things that are a direct result of his influence. When I was young and tried to break out of the cultural confines of being a girl, it was Steve who encouraged and supported me. I don’t think my Mom will ever forgive him for getting me interested in motorcycles. But because of me, my husband got back into riding, my step-son and daughter both ride, my daughter-in-law rides and when I have grandkids, they’re going to ride. Just that one thing has had such a huge impact on my life, and now, the lives of others. I feel so blessed. I’m a living legacy for Steve. What an incredible honor.
In closing I’d like to read a few lines of a song that very eloquently says how I feel.
You
were always there for me
The tender wind that carried me
A light in the dark shining your love into my life
You've been my inspiration
Through the lies you were the truth
My world is a better place because of you
You saw
the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me