Obituary of Stephen P. Bogosh

In lieu of flowers memorials in Steve’s name may be made to the American Heart Association, PO Box 417005, Boston, MA 02241-7005 www2.heart.org

Stephen Bogosh by Brian Grad

When I first sat down at the dinner table to start collecting my thoughts as to what I was going to say, my wife sat down next to me and asked me if I could describe Stephen in 1 word.  Several words popped into my head, but I couldn’t narrow it down to just one word.

Stephen was called many different names by different people.

• • Stephen (Given Name)
  • Dad
  • Steve
  • Bgie
  • Dude (By his in-laws) – Nt sure how that one came about
  • Stevie

Not sure how or why, but I always called him Stevie.

Stephen fought and overcame Hodgkin’s disease when he was only 8 years old.  Even back then he showed how tough he was, as he would wait until his mother would leave the hospital until he would tell the nurses how much pain he was in. 

 Over the past few days, his family has provided me with several stories of his younger days.  I’d like to share a couple of those stories with all of you.

The first story was when he used to play a “bucking bronco” game with his brother Michael.  Stephen would come out of the bedroom with towels wrapped around each leg like a pair of chaps, oversized leather gloves, a cowboy hat, and he would put a belt around Michael’s chest to hold on to while Michael would try to throw him off.  Of course, no safety measures where enacted, as they would usually play next to the living room coffee table and the brick fireplace.

The second story involves Stephen’s first car, which was a Pontiac Lemans.  He was very proud of that car.  On one particular day he was gunning the engine telling his family how it was purring like a kitten.  He proceeded to leave the driveway and drive down the street.  Ten minutes later he walked back up the street, mumbling that his car is no longer purring like a kitten.

I first met Stevie when I started dating his sister Lori.  Kathy, Stephen, Lori and I decided to go out for breakfast one day as a way for all of us to get to know one another.  The conversation was pleasant, and we immediately developed a great rapport with each other that would only grow throughout the years.  As we were driving back from breakfast, the song “Good Morning Starshine” came on the radio.  There is a line in the song that says, “doobie aba daba, doobie aba daba.”  Stephen interrupted the conversation to ask all of us if anyone knew what a “doobie aba daba was?  We all kind of looked at each other with a bewildered look for several seconds.  This was followed by intense laughter among all of us.  That was Stevie.

Many years ago, when I was unemployed, Stephen called me up and told me about an open position at Merck Laboratories, where he was working at the time.  He thought it was the perfect position for me, and that he knew that I would be a good fit for that position.  I immediately sent him my resume, and he forwarded it on to the hiring manager, putting in a good word for me.  Shortly thereafter, I was called in for an interview, and I got the job.  I proceeded to thank him thereafter on a pretty regular basis.  However, after several thank you’s, he stopped me one day, and told me to not thank him anymore.  He stated that I was qualified for the job, and he really didn’t have any input on me being hired.  That’s the Stephen lived his life, he was quick to help anyone in need, but he never wanted or expected anything in return.  He was one of the most humble individuals I’ve ever known.

I wasn’t his direct supervisor, but as part of my job, I had to interact with all the building mechanics.  Stephen was an excellent HVAC mechanic, and one day while I was in a meeting in my office, with my manager, and a senior Merck Manager, the HVAC system in my office started blowing air into my office at a very high speed.  It sounded like a jet airplane taking off.  I excused myself from the meeting, went to a nearby office, and called Stephen.  When he answered the phone, I started blurting out that something was very wrong with the HVAC system in my office, and that he needed to fix it immediately.  His reply to me was, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”  I immediately knew that he got me!!  See, Stephen had a knack for ticking you off, and making you laugh at the same time.

Whenever I asked him to do anything at work, his response was always, “I got this.”  Whenever I heard those words, I knew that I had nothing to worry about.  I knew the job would get done quickly and correctly.

As an HVAC mechanic, Stephen would often take on side jobs.  One such side job was taking care of the air-conditioning system at an over 55 condo complex where is aunt and uncle lived.  Whenever he would commit to a date to do the work, the elderly women would wait by their front doors for his truck to pull into the complex.   As soon as he pulled in, several of the women would come running out saying, “Do me first Stephen, do me first.”   He would also bring his brother Jim to help him.  Usually, he would have Jimmy do most of the work, while Stephen would be inside eating the homemade cookies that the owners would make for him.

Stephen was above all else a family man.  He was a terrific husband to his wife Kathy.  She would often state, “he was her rock!!”  Stephen was always the calm one in any situation.  No matter what happened, he would never lose his cool.  You could see and feel the love between Stephen and Kathy whenever they were together.  They also raised two terrific daughters, Emily and Hailey.  Stephen was very proud of the young adults that they have become.

Emily - inherited her father’s sense of humor.  The two of them would share numerous laughs and jokes that only they would understand and appreciate.  There have also been many instances where Emily would comment on something, and everyone would say that was something Stephen would say. 

Hailey – You share your father’s birthday.  A great gift that that you will be able cherish for the rest of your life.  Your Dad was ecstatic to be able to share birthdays with you.

Besides his wife and daughters, Stephen cherished the closeness of his family.  The bond the family shares is incredible.  Their father’s wish while the kids were still young, was that his children would always be close.  That wish has come true.  They are one of the closest families I’ve ever known.

Stephen was also fortunate to marry into another terrific and close family, that he always spoke very highly of, the Keene family.  He was blessed to have two families to call his own.  He loved and cared for all of them. 

Stephen was close to all his 7 siblings, but he had a special bond with his younger brother Jimmy.  They were as close as two peas in a pod, and you rarely saw one without the other.  It was very enjoyable for me to come into the family and witness their closeness over the years. 

Laughter was also a big part of Stephen’s life……and I’m not talking about a few laughs.  He would regularly have everyone in stitches.  And if he had his brother Michael with him, all bets were off.  When the two of them were together, you never knew what was going to be said.

Stephen’s first boat at his 2^nd home in Maine was a small speedboat that he bought from a friend.  He called this boat a dumpster with an engine.  When I asked him what he named the boat, he replied “HOPE.”  When I pressed him further as to why he called it Hope, he looked at me with a very serious look and said …”HOPE SHE FLOATS.”

Over the past year when his health was failing, Kathy and Stephen decided to sell their 2^nd home in Maine, and their Pontoon boat, which he upgraded to several years ago.

I don’t know how he managed it, but he was able to get his brother Bob to purchase the boat, without Bob having any idea how to drive it. 

In closing, as we will be grieving and consoling one another, it may bring us all some comfort to picture Stevie up in heaven with his Mom & Dad, his brother-in-law Roland, his nephew Jared, his niece Devon, his aunt Lucille, and all his deceased relatives and friends sitting down to a great meal, sipping a glass of wine, and toasting us.

SAYING – “I GOT THIS.”

Which brings me back to answering the question my wife asked me a few days ago.  “What one word would I use to describe Stephen.”  The word I would now use is UNFORGETTABLE!!  None of us will ever be able to forget you.  You’ve always been there for all of us.

You’ve fought the good fight, and the battle is over.  You’re pain and suffering is gone, and It is time for you to enjoy everlasting happiness.

We love you Stevie ol’ buddy.  We will miss you.  Rest in peace.

And as your Mom used to say to all of us when we would leave her house at night as we were heading home, before we all started carrying cell phones.  “Ring once when you get home.”  Stevie, ring once when you get home.

When I first sat down at the dinner table to start collecting my thoughts as to what I was going to say, my wife sat down next to me and asked me if I could describe Stephen in 1 word.  Several words popped into my head, but I couldn’t narrow it down to just one word.

Stephen was called many different names by different people.

• • Stephen (Given Name)
  • Dad
  • Steve
  • Bgie
  • Dude (By his in-laws) – Nt sure how that one came about
  • Stevie

Not sure how or why, but I always called him Stevie.

Stephen fought and overcame Hodgkin’s disease when he was only 8 years old.  Even back then he showed how tough he was, as he would wait until his mother would leave the hospital until he would tell the nurses how much pain he was in. 

 Over the past few days, his family has provided me with several stories of his younger days.  I’d like to share a couple of those stories with all of you.

The first story was when he used to play a “bucking bronco” game with his brother Michael.  Stephen would come out of the bedroom with towels wrapped around each leg like a pair of chaps, oversized leather gloves, a cowboy hat, and he would put a belt around Michael’s chest to hold on to while Michael would try to throw him off.  Of course, no safety measures where enacted, as they would usually play next to the living room coffee table and the brick fireplace.

The second story involves Stephen’s first car, which was a Pontiac Lemans.  He was very proud of that car.  On one particular day he was gunning the engine telling his family how it was purring like a kitten.  He proceeded to leave the driveway and drive down the street.  Ten minutes later he walked back up the street, mumbling that his car is no longer purring like a kitten.

I first met Stevie when I started dating his sister Lori.  Kathy, Stephen, Lori and I decided to go out for breakfast one day as a way for all of us to get to know one another.  The conversation was pleasant, and we immediately developed a great rapport with each other that would only grow throughout the years.  As we were driving back from breakfast, the song “Good Morning Starshine” came on the radio.  There is a line in the song that says, “doobie aba daba, doobie aba daba.”  Stephen interrupted the conversation to ask all of us if anyone knew what a “doobie aba daba was?  We all kind of looked at each other with a bewildered look for several seconds.  This was followed by intense laughter among all of us.  That was Stevie.

Many years ago, when I was unemployed, Stephen called me up and told me about an open position at Merck Laboratories, where he was working at the time.  He thought it was the perfect position for me, and that he knew that I would be a good fit for that position.  I immediately sent him my resume, and he forwarded it on to the hiring manager, putting in a good word for me.  Shortly thereafter, I was called in for an interview, and I got the job.  I proceeded to thank him thereafter on a pretty regular basis.  However, after several thank you’s, he stopped me one day, and told me to not thank him anymore.  He stated that I was qualified for the job, and he really didn’t have any input on me being hired.  That’s the Stephen lived his life, he was quick to help anyone in need, but he never wanted or expected anything in return.  He was one of the most humble individuals I’ve ever known.

I wasn’t his direct supervisor, but as part of my job, I had to interact with all the building mechanics.  Stephen was an excellent HVAC mechanic, and one day while I was in a meeting in my office, with my manager, and a senior Merck Manager, the HVAC system in my office started blowing air into my office at a very high speed.  It sounded like a jet airplane taking off.  I excused myself from the meeting, went to a nearby office, and called Stephen.  When he answered the phone, I started blurting out that something was very wrong with the HVAC system in my office, and that he needed to fix it immediately.  His reply to me was, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”  I immediately knew that he got me!!  See, Stephen had a knack for ticking you off, and making you laugh at the same time.

Whenever I asked him to do anything at work, his response was always, “I got this.”  Whenever I heard those words, I knew that I had nothing to worry about.  I knew the job would get done quickly and correctly.

As an HVAC mechanic, Stephen would often take on side jobs.  One such side job was taking care of the air-conditioning system at an over 55 condo complex where is aunt and uncle lived.  Whenever he would commit to a date to do the work, the elderly women would wait by their front doors for his truck to pull into the complex.   As soon as he pulled in, several of the women would come running out saying, “Do me first Stephen, do me first.”   He would also bring his brother Jim to help him.  Usually, he would have Jimmy do most of the work, while Stephen would be inside eating the homemade cookies that the owners would make for him.

Stephen was above all else a family man.  He was a terrific husband to his wife Kathy.  She would often state, “he was her rock!!”  Stephen was always the calm one in any situation.  No matter what happened, he would never lose his cool.  You could see and feel the love between Stephen and Kathy whenever they were together.  They also raised two terrific daughters, Emily and Hailey.  Stephen was very proud of the young adults that they have become.

Emily - inherited her father’s sense of humor.  The two of them would share numerous laughs and jokes that only they would understand and appreciate.  There have also been many instances where Emily would comment on something, and everyone would say that was something Stephen would say. 

Hailey – You share your father’s birthday.  A great gift that that you will be able cherish for the rest of your life.  Your Dad was ecstatic to be able to share birthdays with you.

Besides his wife and daughters, Stephen cherished the closeness of his family.  The bond the family shares is incredible.  Their father’s wish while the kids were still young, was that his children would always be close.  That wish has come true.  They are one of the closest families I’ve ever known.

Stephen was also fortunate to marry into another terrific and close family, that he always spoke very highly of, the Keene family.  He was blessed to have two families to call his own.  He loved and cared for all of them. 

Stephen was close to all his 7 siblings, but he had a special bond with his younger brother Jimmy.  They were as close as two peas in a pod, and you rarely saw one without the other.  It was very enjoyable for me to come into the family and witness their closeness over the years. 

Laughter was also a big part of Stephen’s life……and I’m not talking about a few laughs.  He would regularly have everyone in stitches.  And if he had his brother Michael with him, all bets were off.  When the two of them were together, you never knew what was going to be said.

Stephen’s first boat at his 2^nd home in Maine was a small speedboat that he bought from a friend.  He called this boat a dumpster with an engine.  When I asked him what he named the boat, he replied “HOPE.”  When I pressed him further as to why he called it Hope, he looked at me with a very serious look and said …”HOPE SHE FLOATS.”

Over the past year when his health was failing, Kathy and Stephen decided to sell their 2^nd home in Maine, and their Pontoon boat, which he upgraded to several years ago.

I don’t know how he managed it, but he was able to get his brother Bob to purchase the boat, without Bob having any idea how to drive it. 

In closing, as we will be grieving and consoling one another, it may bring us all some comfort to picture Stevie up in heaven with his Mom & Dad, his brother-in-law Roland, his nephew Jared, his niece Devon, his aunt Lucille, and all his deceased relatives and friends sitting down to a great meal, sipping a glass of wine, and toasting us.

SAYING – “I GOT THIS.”

Which brings me back to answering the question my wife asked me a few days ago.  “What one word would I use to describe Stephen.”  The word I would now use is UNFORGETTABLE!!  None of us will ever be able to forget you.  You’ve always been there for all of us.

You’ve fought the good fight, and the battle is over.  You’re pain and suffering is gone, and It is time for you to enjoy everlasting happiness.

We love you Stevie ol’ buddy.  We will miss you.  Rest in peace.

And as your Mom used to say to all of us when we would leave her house at night as we were heading home, before we all started carrying cell phones.  “Ring once when you get home.”  Stevie, ring once when you get home.