Stephen M. Bard

We knew you as "Matt". In your short life we saw you just a few times - with you living in California and we living in Maine. You were the "golden haired boy" and much loved by your mother. We were present at your Memorial Service and to see people spilling out of the room, into the hall, showed us what a special young person you were. The testimonies given were warm and sincere, telling how you were responsible for changing many lives. I wish we had known you better. You will be and are missed by many but your short time here on earth has accomplished more than those of us who have been here years longer.

Love, Aunt Norma & Uncle Rol

My name is Eunkyung and I am from Korea. I met Steve through his brother Andrew, and we would visit Steve on the weekends. Steve always had a hard time pronouncing my name, so he told me that from that point on my new name was going to be "Michelle." Steve made me laugh all the time. I once made the mistake of telling him that he is just like Andrew. Steve looked very serious for a moment, then corrected me by saying "I am not like Andrew. Andrew is like me. I'm the older brother, so that means I raised him...not the other way around." Watching Steve and Andrew together was so much fun. I have never seen two siblings care more about each other, or play tricks on each other, more than these two. Right away, Steve adopted me as a member of his family. I often played with his boys Tyler and Kyle. Steve had to remind them that I am a girl, and it's not polite to kick girls in the head. It sounds like a joke, but I truly felt like a member of the family. Steve once told me that he would always think of me as a sister. Then he bit me on the neck while saying, “but not MY sister.” As time went on, I got to know Steve very well. Steve cared about everyone in his life. If you knew Steve, then this was obvious. At his memorial, many people stood up to say how much they cared about him, and how he helped them in one way or another. As am so upset as I am about Steve's passing, but there is one thing that I strongly believe and it has given me a moment of comfort between the tears. Steve spent the last half of his life helping others. His own troubles and experiences gave him the insight required to be of service. If Steve could go back and re-live the past 10 years of his life, if he knew then what he knows now, he wouldn't change a thing. Steve would willingly sacrifice himself again and again if it meant helping just one person. I see and hear Steve whenever his brother speaks. This makes me happy and sad at the same time. He will live on in my heart, and I will miss him dearly.

I first met Steve back in 1979. His sister, my good friend Mona, lived by me and I remember when he would play with my (then) baby daughter, Jayme, who adored him. I always thought he was such a great person. I know he will be missed. My thoughts, prayers, and love are with all the family.