Return to Heaven

As I cross over the line from the outside world and set foot onto the hardwood of a basketball court, I transcend into a being that words cannot describe. No longer do I concern myself with worldly problems. Now I am in my domain, my Heaven here on Earth. With each stride that I take and every creak I hear in the floor, I embrace punishment, fearing someone else may be working harder than me. I notice the smell of pride in the air, and this excites me. The blood, sweat and tears from the agony of defeat and joy of sweet victory circulate a most unique essence like none other I have ever been able to find. Deep within my heart lies a security in knowing that not only has my pride contributed to this essence, but that the blood, sweat and tears of players past have contributed to it as well. And we must not forget the ones who taught us what pride really means. This is sacred to me, reminding me that I have given everything I ever had and put it all in to the great game of basketball. I have given my heart and soul to this game. So whenever I leave my domain, I always take with me the the anxiety and the yearning from deep within my soul that just can't wait until my next Return to Heaven.

1985 - 2009

1985 - 2009 Whether or not you believe in the power of first impression, it only took one meeting to understand that Stephen Elrod had the gift to inject a positive influence on people’s lives. Maybe it was because of the humble, Christian values instilled in him from the time he was young, or just the good nature he was blessed to be born with. The lives he touched were immeasurable and anyone with the good luck to meet him was fortunate enough to have their life enriched in some way.

There are countless ways to describe Stephen: compassionate, hardworking, dedicated, humble, athletic, and charismatic are just a few, but none of these can truly capture who Stephen Dale Elrod was. He had the rare ability to always put others before himself in any situation, whether it was lending a friendly ear to listen and provide encouraging words of advice, coaching grade school students or simply flashing his famous, friendly smile to someone having a bad day. He always uplifted people through his own positive outlook on life and his talent for making others believe in themselves. Stephen was a true example of what it means to be selfless.

Stephen had an amazing sense of humor that let him live life to the fullest, never taking a minute for granted. He recognized all the joy life had to offer, especially when spending time with his family and friends. His sense of humor and ability to enjoy every moment made him an optimistic person who didn’t let anything get him down.

Although we lost a son, a brother, a friend, and a colleague, and the void can never be replaced, as will always remember Stephen’s humility, generosity, and smile. Most importantly, we can use these memories as inspiration to make our lives, and the lives around us more complete and whole, just as Stephen did during his short time on this Earth.

A Powerful Smile

At first glimpse, you will find a contagious Smile…
The kind of Smile you often desire.
A tremendous Smile created by a
Strong family foundation.

A smile so huge because of his religious beliefs
And the inspiration it provided.

A Smile that few great student-athletes possess.
As a teammate, the Smile that ensures
Our team has a great chance in which any
Battle to engage and demonstrate confidence
That he is a true competitor
Who strives for true excellence.

A smile that young children adore—
One that creates excitement in his being.
A smile that recalled his childhood days
As he enjoyed those same memories.
A Smile that kids often seek
When selecting a new hero.

To a co-worker, a Smile that is prompt
And accurate from the very first time.
A smile that says, “Help me learn
And I’ll learn you more.”
One that many different people learned from,
A truly special type of Smile.

A smile a “world of friends” could see
On the opposite end of a message
Because of the compassion
And friendship it displayed.
A smile that demonstrated an uncanny ability
To listen, connect, and relate.

To a stranger, a smile with immediate
Warm rapport and sincere interest
In their general well-being and viewpoint—
Regardless of the subject at hand.
A smile that gained immediate respect with
Each “thank you, sir” or “yes, ma’am”.

A smile that had the desire to
Make a positive difference in so many.

A smile that cannot be forgotten
Because of the meaning it provided.

Do like me—find a mirror and
See his powerful Smile.

PCHS Honors Stephen

On December 9, 2008, the Pendleton County Wildcats honored the memory of Stephen by presenting his senior jersey #15 to his parents. Coach Chad Simms, Stephen's former assistant coach, spoke a few words and the senior wildcats carried his jersey to center court. Senior Timmy Cooper wore a similar #15 jersey in memory of Stephen for the evening



Upon returning to Kentucky for his senior year, Stephen committed himself to one sport--basketball and played for Coach Buddy Biggs. He was the lone senior on the squad. When districts rolled around, he helped lead his team to the 10th region tournament. Stephen was selected after the season as the recipient of the treasured "Larry Price Hustle Award", the same honor his father had received twenty-five years earlier. Two years later, Stephen's brother, Jon, would be honored with the same award at the end of his junior and senior years.



The jersey was given back to the school so that it may hang in the gym.


.

Tigers Present Family with #31 "Elrod" jersey

On November 12, 2009, Stephen's family was presented with a framed #31 jersey on the evening of the first home game of the 2009 season. It was a fitting evening for the presentation; Coach Osborne coached and won his 400th game the same evening. The following is the script that was read during the tribute to Stephen.

"Stephen Dale Elrod, a four-year member of the Tiger Men’s Basketball Team and 2007 graduate of Georgetown College, was killed in a tragic vehicle accident in July. Since then he has been remembered in many ways throughout our campus community. Tonight, we honor his memory by giving his parents, Rick and Judy Elrod, and brother, Jon, a framed jersey of his number, No. 31. The Tiger team also honors Stephen each game, wearing “Rod” on the front of each of their jerseys and rubbing a No. 31 jersey in their locker room before heading to the court...

A permanent honor on our campus is planned to be unveiled next year when the area between the George H.W. Bush Fitness Center and Alumni Gymnasium will be named the Stephen D. Elrod Plaza. A sculpture depicting his characteristics and personality will be erected with benches surrounding as a touching tribute to his life.

Stephen was one of the finest kids I have ever been associated with. He was smart, kind, polite, and funny! It looked like he was always having a good day. He lit up the room when he walked in, remembers professor, Jack Birdwhistell.

Coach Happy Osborne has been close to this family since he was an assistant under then Coach Reid and says that as a family, he doesn’t know how you can be any more Georgetown than the Elrods. Happy says that while Rick and Judy been very successful in their time at Georgetown and in life, the most success for them has been as parents because there are no two finer young men than Stephen and Jon Elrod.

Coach Osborne considers Stephen Elrod as the perfect example of a student-athlete. His smile lit up our campus and every gym he visited. Most of all, Stephen lived the example of Christ in that he gave everything for everyone else. Most of all, he was an example to all of us because he saw the good in every one.

Dr. Zahi Haddad, professor of business administration remembers Stephen in the classroom and says, “Stephen Elrod was beloved by all his friends and faculty members. He gained my at most admiration and respect as a student and an athlete. He was a true scholar who had high expectation of himself and expected others to do as well. He had a great personality that gained him the friendship and respect of all who knew him. He developed an excellent understanding of life complexities which made him a person of good judgment. I frequently relied on his judgment on the investment team. He always researched hidden corporate treasures and shared their values with his team. His judgment had always proved to be profitable to the team. He was a great leader. I will always miss him and have a warm spot for Stephen in my heart.

Mark Surgalski, who was a four-year teammate and roommate of Stephen says that Stephen is in the top three most influential people in his life – “He made me a better friend to my friends, made me a better person in this world and the thing I thank him most for is that he made me a better husband to my wife.”

Stephen Elrod was a professor’s dream student says Nancy Lumpkin, another one of Stephen’s favorite teachers. Professor Lumpkin notes that he never shied away from the tough courses, was game for any new challenges, and was always so pleasant to be around. I very much valued the attitude and spirit this fine young man brought to my classes and to the Georgetown College Investment Team. Stephen was a business major with an emphasis in management…but he kept showing up in my finance courses…this was a little unusual for me to see because normally, if a student gets through Lumpkin’s Managerial class, he does not usually look back again…but Stephen did. Elrod—cause that is what we all called him—appeared in my Investments class…the first day I asked him if he was in the correct room. The other students teased him a bit because he had apparently chosen a Lumpkin class of his own free will! I will never forget it…Steven smiled, pulled his baseball cap a little lower, down over his reddened face, and replied, “yes Ma’am, I really want to learn about investments.”

That statement on day one changed the entire demeanor of the class for the semester. Stephen’s leadership in the classroom—his willingness to express interest and excitement over academic content—helped open everyone to that learning opportunity. We had such a fun semester together and I will never forget it.

Stephen’s jersey will forever hang in the Georgetown locker room and his contributions to Georgetown Basketball and our campus will never be forgotten. Fitting tributes for a special young man…Stephen D. Elrod.

And now our Tiger captains, team and staff proudly present the framed jersey to Rick, Judy and Jon."

There Must be Death in Order to Continue Life

Not many young adults think about dying, much less about donating their organs. Stephen was a unique individual. One day he made a special trip on his lunch hour into the Circuit Clerk's office to add his name to the donor list. He was told that he was young and had a long time before he needed to think about that. His response back was that he had a personal relationship with Jesus and if anything ever happened to him, he didn't want there to be any question as to his wishes. He had already renewed his license previously; therefore, his name was added to the donor list but the back of his license remained unchecked.

Stephen usually placed his wallet in the center console of his vehicle. He was uncomfortable driving with it in his back pocket. After the accident, had it been in his pocket, the doctors would have assumed he was not an organ donor since his license was unchecked. However, since we didn't have access to the license, they called the state department, researched the donor list and found his name.

Because of Stephen's decision to help others at his death, the following individuals had an opportunity to continue their life.

Stephen's liver recipient is a 60 year old man from Ohio. He suffered from a chronic progressive disease which caused acute liver failure. He was second on the waiting list and was extremely ill at the time of his transplant. Stephen saved his life. When he is feeling well enough, he works at Goodyear Tire. He is the married father of two children. In his free time, he especially enjoys outdoor activities. He is currently doing well and is working on regaining his full strength from home.

Stephen's left kidney went to a 17 year old girl from Ohio. She had a genetic disorder of unknown origin that slowly caused her kidneys to shut down. She had been receiving frequent dialysis treatments for two years before her transplant. Her family consists of eight siblings and she is very fond of puppets, Sponge Bob and watching TV. After her surgery, she experienced no complications and she is currently doing excellent.

The recipient of Stephen's right kidney is a 17 year old boy from Kentucky. He had the same genetic condition as the girl who received his left kidney. Stephen relieved this young man of over four year of dialysis treatments. He had waited for this gift for one and a half years. He has two siblings and his favorite thing to do is participate on his school's wrestling team.

The heart valves should be transplanted once tests are completed, matches are established, and the recipients are ready.

Due to injuries sustained in the accident, Stephen was unable to donate his pancreas and his skin.

A Lifetime of Memories