Stephen Edward "Steve" Puopolo

With a sad and heavy heart, I offer both my and my family´s deepest and sincerest condolences to Steve´s family and friends. I will always consider Steve a friend far more than a colleague.

Steve and I met roughly ten years ago through our respective companies, and we became fast friends. We had so much in common-big Italian families, similar ages and personalities, parallel career paths, and similar pastimes. I´ll truly miss our Boston visits and the conversations that drifted from nothing to everything-always running long, yet never long enough.

I´ll always remember one Boston visit in particular. After a corporate dinner, a group insisted on finding some cannoli, but no one could agree on where to go. In a wry, blunt, matter-of-fact tone that only Steve could deliver, he loudly declared: "Mike´s is for tourists. Locals go to Modern." He said it with a sly grin, then immediately started walking toward Modern. I laughed so hard it hurt-yet of course, I followed. It was a memorable night not because of where we were or what we did, but because of the laughs we shared while being in his company.

Rest in peace, my friend. And rest assured-because of you, I´ll never go to Mike´s.

Dear Stephen, as the workday wraps up and evening settles in, I find myself reflecting, much like watching a feather drift down from an eagle overhead. The lights from the Fargo office shine through the rain and mist, and I can´t help but feel a quiet sense of sadness and longing. It´s not painful, just a gentle melancholy, the kind that comes with years of experience and the passage of time.

Tonight, I´d appreciate hearing a poem, something straightforward and sincere, not the grand classics that remind us of life´s endless hustle and the constant demands of the job. After decades of balancing ledgers and reconciling accounts, I´m looking for a bit of rest, not reminders of more work.

Maybe you would choose something from a poet who writes from the heart, someone who understands the value of simple joys and the comfort found in small moments. Those kinds of verses have a way of easing the mind, much like a quiet evening after a busy day in the office.

So, if you had a favorite poem, please read it aloud. Let your voice bring the words to life, and together, let´s let the cares of the day fade away, quietly, like tents folding up at night.