Red Stefurak, husband & dad of 3
Donation protected
I am carrying on with a very heavy heart and this is a very difficult adjustment for myself and my children since the news of my husband's passing. There are some days that I can't deal, some days I could. The children are bouncing back to their old self, thankfully, and doing way better than I am. To say that I'm okay, it would be lying to you all. I will not be okay, at least not for a while. His death has affected me in so many ways I never knew possible, and it has shook my entire core to the point where I am looking at life differently. It took me a while to slowly emerge from the hole I dug myself into, to try dealing with the after effects of his death, to reconnect with the people and hopefully get my foot in front of the other and keep moving. Red Wing Stefurak, my best friend, and my soul mate, amazing father to our three beautiful children, will forever be sorely missed and our children will carry on his legacy. I also wanted to take some time to share my deepest gratitude to those close to me, who has especially helped me get through the awful ordeal; if not for them, I'd have fallen apart, and unable to cope. Upon others' strong encouragements, I have agreed to set up a gofundme account; my dear brother helped get this started for me since I can't really wrap my brain around anything, memories flooding, overwhelming me with countless thoughts. Red talked about setting up life insurance policy on his behalf, but he never got the chance to get around to it. My children and I would appreciate any dollars donated towards our children's necessities and their future savings. In this link, you will also find the beautiful eulogy delivered by my brother, Brett Crouch, at Red's memorial service on June 14, 2015. If not for Brett or D.O.O.R., I would have never met Red and having begun our life together.
(This is the eulogy my older brother gave at Red's memorial service)
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"I met Red through a Deaf Opportunity Outreach summer camp when we were 12 or 13. We were natural fast friends and we eventually became best friends over the next few summers. His intellectual stimulation was vast and very refreshing. We lost contact into our early teens but we reunited when he married my little sister, Brittany. Our friendship picked up right where we left it off but we were family now. He and Brittany added two daughters Mikala and Makenzie along with a son, Sean, to the family.
Red Wing Stefurak. Arrived March 20, 1982, departed June 8, 2015. He had 33 years on earth to make an impression. In truth, he only needed 33 seconds to capture our attention. His sudden and unexpected exit is incomprehensible and painful to accept. Instead of selfishly grieving our loss, we will remember who he was and pass on his legacy.
Red's best attributes were his loyalty, his ideas, his curiosity, his sense of humor, his way of day dreaming and his cooking.
He looked at the core of the person rather than skipping through the cover and the first few pages. He wanted the Cliff's Notes or you were wasting your time. Were you loyal or a snitch? The phrase, "layers like an onion", is immediately understood to me because of Red. It took years of loyalty to peel back each layer to meet his core, and in the center, there was 100% heart and loyalty. If you gave him your loyalty, he'd give you everything he had to help you to the best of his ability.
He loved Miami University football above all other than his family to a fault and he knew the football program better than common people knew common things. (You think you know all about doors and their simple function to open and shut? Well, Red knew his football team better.). He was loyal to Miami Hurricanes even after decades in mediocrity. After I got him hooked on futbol during the summer of the 2010 World Cup which was easy because he was already so interested in national relationships and politics, he quickly became an ardent fan of FC Barcelona and rooted against Real Madrid. He also was thrilled with the Miami Heat at the height of their recent superstardom but he refused to allow sports by itself define him. He paid extra attention to philosophy and he always enjoyed literature, especially those written by Ayn Rand and he touted 'Atlas Shrugged' as his favorite book of them all.
Red loved trying culturally diverse foods and his favorite were Spanish and Cuban foods. I remember him being so excited about buying authentic home made chorizo sausages. He could cook anything and I was jealous of him.
His curiosity about the world led to a lot of History Channel on TV and a million of Google searches. He was very interested in all of the empires but he especially admired the Roman Empire. On a tangent, he was fascinated by famous men who altered history for the better or worse and studied the tactics they employed on the battlefield and in the room. He enjoyed playing chess very much because it was the epitome of tactical attrition. Chess became one of his favorite games after he learned that Napoleone Bonaparte enjoyed playing chess as well. He wanted to name his children after historically famous people and as an example, Sean after Caesar, because he knew they were special and would become great someday. The way I saw it, he always seemed as if he were on the verge of becoming great himself. I never once doubted the possibility of him becoming one of the men that would alter our reality. Had that happen, it would have been for the better than worse.
He recently took an interest in the Middle East politics because he's inherently a human rights advocate and he looked forward to a future with progress and peace between men anywhere regardless of their quarrel. That passion for mankind and Ego naturally spilled into his life and it fueled his personality.
Before I continue rambling on about him and start to bore you, truthfully, I know he would be embarrassed that you guys showed up to his memorial service. He once made a bet to me that only a few would show up to his funeral but that's a bet he lost. He rarely lost a bet because he makes a bet only when he knew he was going to win. This is proof that he touched you all somehow. Red doesn't have time for regret anymore but he will know when you smile. This inspires me to not go to bed without peace within myself. If we collectively do that, Red's dream of peace and progress will eventually seep into our lives. Let's all hold each other accountable, let's all look after each other. We are family and we will need each other for a better tomorrow. Then, Red's brief stay with us would mean something. Thank you."
**********
Red didn't have any savings or life insurace policy. Each and every dollar will go to our children's essential needs and their future. My children and I will always be grateful for your donation and support.
(This is the eulogy my older brother gave at Red's memorial service)
**********
"I met Red through a Deaf Opportunity Outreach summer camp when we were 12 or 13. We were natural fast friends and we eventually became best friends over the next few summers. His intellectual stimulation was vast and very refreshing. We lost contact into our early teens but we reunited when he married my little sister, Brittany. Our friendship picked up right where we left it off but we were family now. He and Brittany added two daughters Mikala and Makenzie along with a son, Sean, to the family.
Red Wing Stefurak. Arrived March 20, 1982, departed June 8, 2015. He had 33 years on earth to make an impression. In truth, he only needed 33 seconds to capture our attention. His sudden and unexpected exit is incomprehensible and painful to accept. Instead of selfishly grieving our loss, we will remember who he was and pass on his legacy.
Red's best attributes were his loyalty, his ideas, his curiosity, his sense of humor, his way of day dreaming and his cooking.
He looked at the core of the person rather than skipping through the cover and the first few pages. He wanted the Cliff's Notes or you were wasting your time. Were you loyal or a snitch? The phrase, "layers like an onion", is immediately understood to me because of Red. It took years of loyalty to peel back each layer to meet his core, and in the center, there was 100% heart and loyalty. If you gave him your loyalty, he'd give you everything he had to help you to the best of his ability.
He loved Miami University football above all other than his family to a fault and he knew the football program better than common people knew common things. (You think you know all about doors and their simple function to open and shut? Well, Red knew his football team better.). He was loyal to Miami Hurricanes even after decades in mediocrity. After I got him hooked on futbol during the summer of the 2010 World Cup which was easy because he was already so interested in national relationships and politics, he quickly became an ardent fan of FC Barcelona and rooted against Real Madrid. He also was thrilled with the Miami Heat at the height of their recent superstardom but he refused to allow sports by itself define him. He paid extra attention to philosophy and he always enjoyed literature, especially those written by Ayn Rand and he touted 'Atlas Shrugged' as his favorite book of them all.
Red loved trying culturally diverse foods and his favorite were Spanish and Cuban foods. I remember him being so excited about buying authentic home made chorizo sausages. He could cook anything and I was jealous of him.
His curiosity about the world led to a lot of History Channel on TV and a million of Google searches. He was very interested in all of the empires but he especially admired the Roman Empire. On a tangent, he was fascinated by famous men who altered history for the better or worse and studied the tactics they employed on the battlefield and in the room. He enjoyed playing chess very much because it was the epitome of tactical attrition. Chess became one of his favorite games after he learned that Napoleone Bonaparte enjoyed playing chess as well. He wanted to name his children after historically famous people and as an example, Sean after Caesar, because he knew they were special and would become great someday. The way I saw it, he always seemed as if he were on the verge of becoming great himself. I never once doubted the possibility of him becoming one of the men that would alter our reality. Had that happen, it would have been for the better than worse.
He recently took an interest in the Middle East politics because he's inherently a human rights advocate and he looked forward to a future with progress and peace between men anywhere regardless of their quarrel. That passion for mankind and Ego naturally spilled into his life and it fueled his personality.
Before I continue rambling on about him and start to bore you, truthfully, I know he would be embarrassed that you guys showed up to his memorial service. He once made a bet to me that only a few would show up to his funeral but that's a bet he lost. He rarely lost a bet because he makes a bet only when he knew he was going to win. This is proof that he touched you all somehow. Red doesn't have time for regret anymore but he will know when you smile. This inspires me to not go to bed without peace within myself. If we collectively do that, Red's dream of peace and progress will eventually seep into our lives. Let's all hold each other accountable, let's all look after each other. We are family and we will need each other for a better tomorrow. Then, Red's brief stay with us would mean something. Thank you."
**********
Red didn't have any savings or life insurace policy. Each and every dollar will go to our children's essential needs and their future. My children and I will always be grateful for your donation and support.
Organizer
Brittany Stefurak
Organizer
Fenton, MO