Dick Steele

My husband, Dick...

Thanks for being patient and understanding with my updating the website. My husband, Dick, lost his battle with cancer on December 28, 2001. Nearly four months later, I still cannot believe that he is gone. Losing Dick has been the most difficult challenge of my life. It has taken me this long to have the presence of mind to write about Dick's death. Writing about his dying makes everything real and I have not been able to face the fact that he is actually gone. We shared so many beautiful moments and conversations the weeks before he passed away. His unselfish concern was for me. He knew how very painful and lonely it would be to face life without him. I laid in his arms every night and sobbed and sobbed. How could I face life without him? He had been my love and strength for nearly thirty years. He said I could pretend that he was on an overnight trip. "But honey, I will never get that call and hear you say "Hello my little sweetie", as he always said as soon as I answered the phone when he was away. I knew how painful it would be to write about Dick's death as the tears streamed down my face. And my heart is still heavy with grief as I write today. However, I hold on to the fact that Dick and I will be reunited again in the kingdom of heaven. Dick was not afraid to die. He realized that he would be going to a better place which was free of pain and suffering. He assured me many times by saying "I'll see you there someday, honey." I treasure all the time we were blessed to be together but mostly the last two years of Dick's life. I know God knew that Dick would be taken from me. God blessed us both with beautiful moments to share constantly. He blessed Dick with a job selling aircraft parts for a company called AAR. He loved this job, his customers he met with each day, his fellow employees in the Columbus office who were Duffy, Crystal and Tom, and the employees he spoke with every week in the Chicago office. He was full of love, pride, kindness and confidence that reflected in his every action. My heart was bursting with joy and pride just for the blessing of his love and goodness. This too was a part of God's plan. Dick began to witness to others about how God had changed his life even though he knew that his days here on this earth were drawing to a close. I am not familiar with any marriage or relationship that is perfect. We all are faced with trials, frustrations, aggravations, disagreements and pet peeves. Anything negative that had happened in the past with Dick and me and our relationship and marriage was totally erased from thought-only the loving, beautiful moments that we had shared stood tall before us. Dick knew how very, very much I loved him and I knew how very, very much he loved me. His every thought and his every task was for me and the love we had shared for so many years. I could have never felt any more love from a man than the love that was showered upon me by my wonderful husband. We had the perfect ending and he lives in my heart for always. Thanks to all of our dear family, friends, physicians, and Hospice for your constant love, care and support.