Stuart lived

He sought
He toiled
He excelled
He exulted

He shared the field of endeavor with his heroes
He did not worship them from the stands

He did not wish
He did

Stuart will live
Live in each of us
Until it is our turn to leave this earth
You and I are the keepers
We can only hope our memory will be near worthy

A fine son
A trusted friend
A courageous spirit
An exceptional man

Be sure your presence here brings much appreciated
comfort to his parents
For it is an incredible gift you bring
The knowledge their son's memory will flourish in so many souls

This time for grief hopefully past
Perhaps it is now time to live
As he will, in our hearts

Let us now celebrate
Let us bask in the glory of this fine day
Let us rejoice in the stories of an adventurous life

Perhaps one distant day we will recognize the glint in a child's eye
Perhaps it will be in a wry smile or a mischievous laugh
In this moment we shall see, hear and feel
In this moment we shall remember, a life, well lived

Long live Stuart Stratton


Robert Louis Mesa
October 27, 2001