The sting of losing a loved one never goes away. Almost like an
internal clock, there is a daily reminder that often times is
triggered by the most mundane details of our lives.
I was 11 when my dad died in a car accident. A day doesn’t pass
that I don’t think about him. How he instilled a love of sports in
me. How he made me play the games I loved while hurt to build
toughness. How he put the fear of God in me when my grades weren’t
up to par. How he told me there would be plenty of time for
girls.
I also think about what we missed out on and what he would think
of the way I live my life. I remember what we had and what I
lost.
The feeling of loss isn’t what it once was, but the pain is
still real and it has the ability to strike deeply depending on the
moment. Each year, the thoughts of him multiply the closer it is to
the date of his death.
Almost a year has passed since Gilroy lost one of its best
citizens, and the memories of Doug Stevens are still vivid amongst
his friends and family, as well as acquaintances.
The sting of losing a loved one never goes away. Almost like an internal clock, there is a daily reminder that often times is triggered by the most mundane details of our lives.
I was 11 when my dad died in a car accident. A day doesn’t pass that I don’t think about him. How he instilled a love of sports in me. How he made me play the games I loved while hurt to build toughness. How he put the fear of God in me when my grades weren’t up to par. How he told me there would be plenty of time for girls.
I also think about what we missed out on and what he would think of the way I live my life. I remember what we had and what I lost.
The feeling of loss isn’t what it once was, but the pain is still real and it has the ability to strike deeply depending on the moment. Each year, the thoughts of him multiply the closer it is to the date of his death.
Almost a year has passed since Gilroy lost one of its best citizens, and the memories of Doug Stevens are still vivid amongst his friends and family, as well as acquaintances.
A 48-year-old sergeant for the Santa Clara County Office of the Sheriff, Stevens passed away four months after being diagnosed with melanoma for the second time. Eleven years had gone by since his first bout with the difficult-to-treat form of skin cancer, and despite having caught it in a monthly checkup, his health rapidly declined.
While the first year of separation from a family member is obviously the hardest and most wrought with feelings of melancholy, those related to Stevens – through the bonds of blood, friendship and/or service to the community – are coming together to remember and honor the selfless father, husband, friend, Little League coach and community volunteer.
Through the leadership of Lieutenants Garry Peterson and Mark Garcia, Sheriff Laurie Smith and Stevens’ wife, Jackie, Santa Clara County’s Office of the Sheriff will be holding the First Annual Memorial Golf Tournament Monday at the San Jose Country Club. What makes the day more than a simple charity golf event is that the money raised will go towards a newly established scholarship fund that was created, in part, from one of Stevens’ last requests.
After hearing of all the scholarships his son, Michael, had received at Gilroy High’s senior awards banquet last year, Stevens, confined to his home due to illness, told Jackie he would like her to create a scholarship in his name. A teacher in Morgan Hill and coordinator of scholarship funds, she wasn’t about to let him down.
“The one thing he said to me was … ‘I want you to do a scholarship for me,’ ” Jackie said. ” ‘I want it to be for kids, not necessarily academics, but a kid that gave of himself. A kid that did for others.’ ”
The qualifications are quite fitting.
“He was an excellent police officer, very excellent husband and he was great with his kids,” said Peterson of Stevens, his best friend and partner of 25 years. “He would give his shirt off his back for you.”
Gilroy High baseball manager Clint Wheeler, a coach of Michael’s for three years, recalls how Stevens was the definition of a helping hand.
“He was an unbelievable volunteer for our program,” Wheeler said. “You name it, he would do it. Nothing was too small and nothing was too big.”
It’s not surprising, Stevens wouldn’t be too fond of having his name front and center.
“He would probably hate this golf tournament and the attention,” Jackie said with a laugh. “He would love the cause and he would be the worker bee, but he wouldn’t want his name attached to anything. He really wouldn’t. He was very humble and did not like to be in the limelight.”
Any unease would certainly be lessened by the fact that the scholarship fund, which will go to the children of those who protect and serve Santa Clara County, will be donating money on his behalf this year, but will not be named after him in following years. The goal of the fund is to “honor the memory of those who have served the Office of the Sheriff with distinction.”
Picking Stevens as the first individual to dedicate the Memorial Tournament to was an easy decision for the department, according to Peterson, and just another example of the way the Sheriff’s office has rallied around the Stevens family in trying times.
Said Jackie, “We were never alone.”
While tears will certainly be shed at the festivities, there is symbolism that can’t be missed when thinking about the life that Stevens led and the legacy that continues to grow. Stevens left behind a wife, son and daughter (Megan), but through something as simple as a scholarship, he is still here making a difference.
“The truth is, when I try to stand back a little bit, he was a person that I greatly admired,” Jackie said. “He was the strongest person I ever knew, and right before he died, I had told him that I was going to spend the rest of my life trying to be more like him and honoring who he was to my children. So for me, as his wife, this golf tournament is sending a very powerful message to my children about who their father was. He was a person people loved and respected.”
The memories of our fathers will never go away, but using them for a greater purpose could be the best way to keep them close.
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First Annual Memorial Golf Tournament
The Santa Clara County Office of the Sheriff will be hosting its First Annual Memorial Golf Tournament on Monday, June 9 at the San Jose Country Club. This year’s tournament is dedicated to Sergeant Doug Stevens, who passed away on July 30, 2007. All proceeds from the tournament will go towards a college scholarship fund in a collective effort to assist local students in pursuing their goal of a higher education. At this time, the event is soliciting corporate and individual sponsorships. All sponsors will be recognized in the official program. Sponsorship levels are as follows: Bronze Sponsor: $500, Program recognition. Silver Sponsor: $1000, Program recognition, hole sponsor sign. Gold Sponsor: $2500 (includes golf-for-four), Program recognition, hole sponsor sign. Platinum Sponsor: $5000 (includes golf-for-four), Program recognition, hole sponsor sign, “Sheriff’s Posse” plaque.
In addition to sponsorships, the event is soliciting gift items for a silent auction and raffle. Donations can be mailed to: 124H Blossom Hill Road #459, San Jose, CA 95123 or can be arranged to be picked up as needed. Tax-deductible donation checks can be made out to: Sheriff’s Advisory Board of Santa Clara County. The tax identification number for S.A.B. is 77-0063973. For more information, contact Garry Peterson Office of the Sheriff, Memorial Golf Tournament Co-Chairperson (408) 506.0180 or Mark Garcia Office of the Sheriff, Memorial Golf Tournament Co-Chairperson (408) 421.6712.
To secure a spot in next year’s tournament, e-mail Garry Peterson at [email protected] or Mark Garcia at [email protected]
