It pains me deeply that I cannot be there with you all today to celebrate my friend and colleague Stephen.
My thoughts are filled with Stephen's memory - his ever-ready coffee and biscuits that greeted us each morning, our Friday tradition of fish and chips before we decided to be "healthier," ordering parts for his next project, and those end-of-term drinks at the Dog. I'll never forget his face lighting up whenever he talked about cars - whether it was discussing the latest models, sharing stories about his weekend tinkering, or giving us all expert advice about our own car troubles. His garage was his sanctuary,
What made Stephen special was his essence - his goodness, his humor, his boundless kindness, and yes, even those rare moments of grumpiness that made him wonderfully human like the rest of us. He had this remarkable way of making our workplace feel like home and our team feel like family. Even during the busiest days, he'd always find time to help diagnose that strange noise in someone's car or share his latest automotive restoration project.
While these memories bring tears today, I know that someday they'll bring smiles again. After all, someone who brought so much warmth and care into our lives wouldn't want us to dwell in sadness. Stephen enriched our lives in countless ways, and the best tribute we can offer is to remember him with the same joy and warmth he brought to us all.
His legacy lives on in the countless lives he touched, in the laughter we shared, and in the lessons of kindness he taught us simply by being himself. Stephen wasn't just a colleague - he was a friend who made our world better by being in it. Every time I hear the purr of a well-tuned engine or see a classic car on the road, I'll think of him and smile, knowing how much joy these simple things brought him.
Wayne Murphy
10/03/2025
