Alex Ellul, writes:
Il-Kaptan, as my father had nick-named him from the start, has left us.
Stephen passed away after a year and a half battling with cancer. His unbelievable strength and resolve amazed all his close relatives and friends. He never complained about his great pain and sorrow. He loved life and just as he and my sister Pat began to prepare to enjoy the fruit of their whole life of work together, God called him to join his good father and brother.
Steve (this is how I called him all my life) was a great person, to say the least, and he shall truly be missed but never forgotten by many.
He was the best example of a perfectly-balanced human. One of a kind, I would safely say. Disciplined, professional, funny, energetic, clever and intelligent.
I knew Steve before my sister got to know him and I truly cannot fault the man. His perfection, dedication and determination in whatever he did is something I shall never forget or ever manage to emulate. He gave up smoking in my car 17 years ago to the month and never looked back. Unfortunately this was not enough. Steve never had a bad word to say about anyone and was always there to give a helping hand or wise advice to everyone.
He was always there for his two children Simon and Debbie. Both of them did not leave his side and their mother's for a second for the last seven days. This shows the good characters they both have and how much they loved their father.
I do not have many words to express what my sister Pat went through this year and a half. She tried everything under the sun to get him through his illness with amazing positive belief and strength. She fought his illness inch by inch and second by second. It is difficult to explain how dedicated she was but I tell her over and over again. Prosit you are to be admired and Steve was proud of you as he expressed to me in his last e-mail a week ago.
He has left us with many memories and it will be very difficult to accept he is no longer here. However, I am proud to say, I have many great things around me that make me thank God he was, is and will always be my brother in-law.
Bon voyage, Kaptan.