Sorry I have to vent a little....
Steve Kelley IS my friend….
He passed away 25Apr22 at his home in Turkey.
I probably met Steve in the early ‘80s. We were both working on the AV8B program at McDonnell Aircraft in St.Louis. We became friends and Steve would show me things that he found while working. One item was that he could ‘talk’ to guys in the military at far away satellite bases over this one computer in the other area. It was green dot matrix but messages could be sent. It was being called the World Wide Web. One of our first outings was a Paint Ball War in December 1984 in out in the woods of Missouri. We had a group of desk jockeys from McAir taking on a group from the Canadian Air Force. All us ‘kids’ won every battle. From here Steve was searching for something different. He found a job in California. During this time I was also looking for a new job. He called me at work one day and said I should contact where he was. They needed our type of military budget analysts and he mentioned my name. Well out I flew to San Jose, CA for an interview. Now we were in the rocket building business. I knew nothing about the processes being used so the night before my interview Steve gave a crash course and buzz words to use. This was at his apartment and it is the first time I met Kathryn a very pretty redhead. I got the job. Moved my family out to California and Steve and I where known as the guys from St.Louis. We worked together there for a few years. Steve moved on to other jobs in the area as did I but we kept in touch as friends over the years. Steve and Kathryn had a house in the next town which we visited often. We played on a CHP softball team, went motorcycle riding and white water rafting.
The motorcycle riding started when Steve wanted to take up the hobby but didn’t have a bike. I had an extra one (my wife’s Joann..who was pregnant at the time) so he borrowed that Suzuki450 to start. He then bought his own Yamaha and the game was on. We started to take weekend rides. We would take Friday off and make a long weekend riding every road in California. No real plan other than let’s go this way. We did this for years…..usually twice a year…spring and fall. Now I’m a penny pincher and so was Steve. We would actually keep a tab about who owed what to who…almost to the penny…and paid each other with no argument about being petty or cheap. “hey your drink cost 30 cents more…pay up”. We traveled a lot through the western states and even Canada.
Now the white water rafting was a yearly thing my family did. My brother organized it and we had two boats. My brother would guide one and I the other. Well it was a learning curve for me. The prior guide had moved on and my brother was left with me so I became a white water rafting guide quick. Steve and Kathryn came on my boat and…well let’s say they stuck with me. No matter how bad I was in the beginning. I did this for 16 years…I got better.
It went on like this for a few years, softball….riding bikes…..rafting.
Steve then needed to move on. It was off to Utah for another job. Of course the biking didn’t end. I rode there and we rode on. Steve still had the itch and started his own company selling on EBay. And finally it was off to Turkey.
Steve and Kathryn watched my kids grow up to adults. They are our friends.
I can’t remember the last time I saw him in person….and that hurts. A lot. I’m very sad…crying.
Steve Kelley IS my friend….
He passed away 25Apr22 at his home in Turkey.
I probably met Steve in the early ‘80s. We were both working on the AV8B program at McDonnell Aircraft in St.Louis. We became friends and Steve would show me things that he found while working. One item was that he could ‘talk’ to guys in the military at far away satellite bases over this one computer in the other area. It was green dot matrix but messages could be sent. It was being called the World Wide Web. One of our first outings was a Paint Ball War in December 1984 in out in the woods of Missouri. We had a group of desk jockeys from McAir taking on a group from the Canadian Air Force. All us ‘kids’ won every battle. From here Steve was searching for something different. He found a job in California. During this time I was also looking for a new job. He called me at work one day and said I should contact where he was. They needed our type of military budget analysts and he mentioned my name. Well out I flew to San Jose, CA for an interview. Now we were in the rocket building business. I knew nothing about the processes being used so the night before my interview Steve gave a crash course and buzz words to use. This was at his apartment and it is the first time I met Kathryn a very pretty redhead. I got the job. Moved my family out to California and Steve and I where known as the guys from St.Louis. We worked together there for a few years. Steve moved on to other jobs in the area as did I but we kept in touch as friends over the years. Steve and Kathryn had a house in the next town which we visited often. We played on a CHP softball team, went motorcycle riding and white water rafting.
The motorcycle riding started when Steve wanted to take up the hobby but didn’t have a bike. I had an extra one (my wife’s Joann..who was pregnant at the time) so he borrowed that Suzuki450 to start. He then bought his own Yamaha and the game was on. We started to take weekend rides. We would take Friday off and make a long weekend riding every road in California. No real plan other than let’s go this way. We did this for years…..usually twice a year…spring and fall. Now I’m a penny pincher and so was Steve. We would actually keep a tab about who owed what to who…almost to the penny…and paid each other with no argument about being petty or cheap. “hey your drink cost 30 cents more…pay up”. We traveled a lot through the western states and even Canada.
Now the white water rafting was a yearly thing my family did. My brother organized it and we had two boats. My brother would guide one and I the other. Well it was a learning curve for me. The prior guide had moved on and my brother was left with me so I became a white water rafting guide quick. Steve and Kathryn came on my boat and…well let’s say they stuck with me. No matter how bad I was in the beginning. I did this for 16 years…I got better.
It went on like this for a few years, softball….riding bikes…..rafting.
Steve then needed to move on. It was off to Utah for another job. Of course the biking didn’t end. I rode there and we rode on. Steve still had the itch and started his own company selling on EBay. And finally it was off to Turkey.
Steve and Kathryn watched my kids grow up to adults. They are our friends.
I can’t remember the last time I saw him in person….and that hurts. A lot. I’m very sad…crying.
