[Karthik]

I attended Steve's funeral today. The outpouring of support from the FIRST community in Ontario was overwhelming. Steve's family was very moved to see that so many people in FIRST respected, looked up to and loved Steve.

On my way home I was thinking about the impact that Steve had on people. He was known for being an amazing judge of character and talent. Consider this piece of trivia for example. Six people that Steve hired to work at GM St. Catharines went on to win WFFAs with four different teams. Myself (2005, 1114), Derek Bessette (2007, 1114), Ian Mackenzie (2008, 1114), Tristan Lall (2009, 2505), Pat Fairbank (2010, 1503), Tyler Holtzman (2010, 2056). Now some of these people worked much closer with Steve than others, nevertheless it's another amazing facet of the legacy of man who did so much for FIRST.

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Being at the funeral today made me realize something very important that I wanted to share. Throughout our lives and especially in this program we meet a multitude of people who leave indelible marks on us. I'm sure everyone who's reading this post can think of at least five people they've met who have profoundly impacted their lives, whether it be friends, family or mentors. When it comes to these people, please heed my following advice; Let them know how important they are to you. Express your feelings to them and thank them for the impact that they've made. Even if you assume that they already know, it's worth it to tell them. Life can be painfully short and you never know how things could change in an instant. It never hurts to say thank you.