moleski

I think that is pretty normal in our culture, too. But Stephen left no last wishes, his body was held by the Medical Examiner's office until after I left town on Thursday, and the family probably has not made up its mind about a final resting place for him. I spent two days with my Mom in N.C., then came back to Buffalo yesterday. I'll keep folks posted if and when plans develop for another memorial dinner in late summer or early fall. The exact date depends on George Klein's schedule. He's a good friend of Stephen's from Geneva, Switzerland, and a friend of many of Stephen's friends. Marty

Hear, hear! Very much appreciated. Marty

I am a friend of the family. I'm 99% certain that there will be no "funeral ceremony." Stephen left no special wishes in that regard and the family seem to be inclined not to have a public ceremony of any kind. I think the thing to do is to make arrangements that suit your taste, temperament, and schedule. We had a small gathering of four friends of Stephen's this evening at Simply Ayzen to have his "Last Supper" menu. Escoffier suggested we order both what Stephen ate on his last visit and what he planned to order on his next visit. It was a very pleasant evening. My theory is that the best ceremony for Stephen is to have some good food and good conversation. I think that's what he enjoyed most himself. Marty

I met Stephen in the fall of 1984. We were part of the Capitol Area Victor Users Group (CAVUG). I had a Victor 9000 and he had an Apricot (a much more elegant version of the Victor). We often laughed at our attraction to "beautiful losers" (we were talking about computer hardware, not folks like you find here!). I moved out of DC in 1988, but stayed in touch with Stephen over the years. He introduced me to Skype and we spent many hours in conversation. Stephen was a window on another world for me. What a man! In 2002, Stephen organized The Oyster Foundation. I've started a tribute page for him on the site. It was a remarkable group because of our remarkable friend. I want to thank all the Rockwellians for the joy that they brought to Stephen in his last years. He talked about the site often and would sent me links to threads that interested him. We ate at Ray's the Steaks in January on the day after his birthday--the last of several great meals that we enjoyed together. Stephen died in his favorite armchair, from which he would surf the web and watch TV. He was found in his night clothes with the TV off. I imagine that he was looking for a comfortable spot to doze--he had a lot of pain these last five months or so. I never got to taste his deviled eggs, but I heard all about them. Stephen knew that they were a big hit and loved to talk about how much people enjoyed them. I had no other friend like Stephen. I will miss him. I'm not sad for Stephen; his pain is over and he probably died peacefully. I grieve for myself, for his family, and for his friends. Thanks, everyone, for all your kind words about him. I hope to be at Dino on Monday night, but that depends on the family's plans. If I get there, you'll recognize me. In our last conversation, Stephen said in his inimitable fashion, "Marty Moleski, you are a big fat priest." Stephen was good to me and good for me. Rest in peace, old friend. Marty

My name is Martin X. Moleski, SJ. My friends call me "Marty," for good or for ill. I have eaten with my recently deceased friend, StephenB, at Ray's the Steaks several times. I was also part of the group that Stephen organized for special meals in Paris, St. Michaels, Montreal, and Washington (I missed the Paris trip, unfortunately). I teach Religious Studies and Catholic Theology at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY. This is my professional site. And this is my vanity site. That's enough by way of introduction, I hope. I'll add a post in the StephenB thread ... Marty