IN MEMORIAM: JERRY STEEGE

All of us here are mourning the loss of a dear friend, Harrison "Jerry" Steege, who died last Wednesday from the ravages of pulmonary fibrosis at 79. He had suffered from this malady for some years, but it was only within the last two years that it really affected his lifestyle where he was dependent on his tank of portable oxygen and living in a home which contained a network of tubes connected to his oxygen supply.

Jerry was truly the proverbial man of many parts. He was an Internist, a doctor in the Philadelphia area for many years. At some point many years ago in his medical career, he became an ardent Christian---not a lip service "I-go-to-church-every-Sunday" type of Christian but one whose life was infused and activated by a faith that motivated his every action. He was not sanctimonious: he had a great sense of humor leavening his lifestyle. I'm sure his compassionate manner, reinforced by his faith, must have been a source of comfort to his patients.

He was active in Faith Alive, an evangelical force within the Christian churches and often traveled to many cities to stimulate faith in action at Faith Alive meetings in a wide variety of churches. He was an articulate and inspiring speaker who could discuss his faith without embarrassment and with total sincerity. He did not wear his faith on his sleeve; it was woven into the fabric of the man.

He was also the possessor of a superb bass voice and was active in Philadelphia and here on Sanibel Island and the Fort Myers area in singing groups. In our church choir he was the anchor as well as our chief soloist. Earlier this year he finally had to give up singing because the demands on his breathing were excessive, and he could not sustain his voice. Our choir suffered a great loss. As a tenor in this choir, I was always reassured to hear his deep voice beside or behind me. He also "warmed us up" before choir rehearsals where his deep knowlege of singing techniques worked to improve our sound.

He also these last three years has been the guiding force behind a group of men in our church,called the Men's Ministry, who meet twice a month for an early light breakfast at 7:30 a.m., and then each member takes a turn presenting a program, after which we break into groups to discuss the program and then report our conclusions. Jerry kept us together and was our great communicator in reminding us of meetings and who was the speaker and who was responsible to bring the food that week. We sometimes as a group go on a retreat, and Jerry was always there with pertinent insights and unfailing good cheer.

Anyone who came into contact with Jerry Steege knew that him as an extraordinary and gifted man. Anyone who knew him was touched by him. Our hearts go out to his wonderful wife, Christine, and his family. We have lost a great man. God has regained one of His best creations.