“God saw him getting tired, and a cure was not to be. So he put his arms around him and said, ‘Come to me.’ With tearful eyes we watched him suffer, and saw him slowly fade away. Although we loved him dearly, we could not make him stay. A golden heart stopped beating, hard working hands put to rest, and God broke our hearts to prove to us that he only takes the best.”

William Alvin Stephens passed away peacefully on Friday, August 12, 2016 at UCSF Medical Center. He was surrounded by his close friends Donna Ragan, Kathy Powers, his daughter June Bricco, friend Caleb Pellegrini, prayer, his favorite music and so much love on his last day here. Stories were shared, songs sung way off key, tears were shed, and memories treasured while his hand was always held so he knew someone was by his side.

William was flown down to UCSF to be treated for a brain aneurysm, stroke and pneumonia in July, and during the three weeks they discovered he had stage 4 lung cancer. His team of doctors worked hard to help get him stable enough to come home, and William fought hard as his cancer spread aggressively in his body to his brain, liver, and heart. Although he wasn’t able to make it home, home found his way to him. His son, William was able to take an emergency leave from the Army and flew out from South Korea for a couple weeks to be by his side. His wife, Alicia, son Adam, ex son-in-law Stacy and granddaughter Alicia were able to be by his side while he still had the strength to talk. His oldest son, Mike was also able to fly out from Washington to spend several days by his side.

He was grateful for the friends that called him each day to say hi, and that he was missed. Although he wasn’t able to have the strength to talk on his last day, his eyes told more than he has ever spoken. Words cannot express the happiness he felt to hear a loved one’s voice for the last time. After each conversation that he heard for the last time his heart filled, but so did the fear he had of never having the chance to hear or see them again since he was aware it was his time to go. To witness someone who was always a fighter accept and understand that they aren’t going win a battle is one of the most admirable things I have ever seen and makes me proud to call him Dad.

William was a friend to all that knew him, and losing him affected more than he was aware. His joking character and happy-go-lucky attitude made a difference to the people who passed by him while he sat on his porch, to the friends and family that were always close by. William loved going to get his coffee at his favorite restaurant, Kristine’s. He’d always wake up bright and early so he could head over to Kristine’s at 6 a.m. to enjoy his cup of coffee with friends. It was one of his favorite parts of his day, and you could set an alarm to him since he would always head out the door the same time each morning.

William loved meeting new people and hearing their stories. He loved sitting on his green chair on his front yard sipping a freeze from Dutch Bros, and visiting with people who passed by or friends who would join him on his porch. He would always wait up for his granddaughter’s bus each school day, rain or shine, to give her a kiss on the top of her head and to tell her he loved her. He enjoyed when she would stop and visit him with his daughter June, and she would point out different places on his map in his living room of where certain countries were along with all her favorite volcanoes. He loved his granddaughter Alicia so much, and she was one of his favorite people.

William also loved the Avenue of the Giants and spent so much time taking his family there when his children were younger. He loved spending an entire day out there. He and his family would go on picnics, hike, swim or go camping because he loved being out in the woods. He was always on the go and ready for any new fun adventure.

He also loved the water and was a merchant marine for many years in San Francisco. There wasn’t one job he didn’t do before he was finally able to retire. He was a taxi driver in San Francisco and a cook for many different cafes; one thing that will definitely be missed is “Dad’s famous fudge.” He loved to eat, and one thing he loved was his watermelon and pie. He always had a pie in the oven, whether it was his favorite sweet potato pie, apple, peach or pecan.

He is survived by his wife, Alicia Stephens, sons Mike Stephens, Joe Stephens, Nick Stephens, William Stephens and Adam Stephens, his only daughter June Bricco and his granddaughters: Alicia, Sophia, and Emilia, and one more grandbaby who hasn’t come home and was by his side the entire time even though no one was aware.

###

The obituary above was submitted by William Stephens’ family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.