A story about Steve Gray

Editor's note: Longtime Norwalk basketball coach Steve Gray passed away unexpectedly on Dec. 28. He was 69. "Congratulations! You have succeeded in p---ing me off!" The game at Sandusky High School was not yet 30 seconds old and Steve Gray did not like what he saw on the court from his players, including my son Nate. He called a full timeout but kept the team on the court instead of sitting down. In his always loud and verbose nature, he made the above statement. No, wait, he spit it out. His face was red and he was in full p---ed off mode, as only Steve could at select times. I have no idea what the problem was, but he was upset to the max. I was taking stats with an iPad near him and when he began the tirade, I looked up into the stands where my wife Meg was sitting next to Sue, Steve's wife. Both were laughing hilariously at his tirade. Upon seeing them, I had to suppress a laugh myself, lest I be part of his wrath. Whatever the problem was, it got straightened out, or at least off his chest, and the game resumed. I cannot even remember if we won or lost, but to this day, Meg and Sue can tell you the exact spot on the Blue Streaks' court where he stood when this all happened. After the game, Meg asked Nate what it was like during that timeout. She said it was quite funny where she was sitting. He replied, "You weren't there to get spittle all over you though, so it wasn't funny to us." After that time whenever Steve introduced us to someone we didn't know, Meg would always say, "Let me tell you about my favorite Steve Gray story!" Steve would roll his eyes and whine (nicely) and say why she could never say anything nice about him and instead recount that story to anyone she met. Upon learning of Steve's death, the statement above was the first one Meg thought of with a good deal of sadness. I know it came to my mind, and I directed that statement directly at God. Some of you may think that sacrilegious, but God well understands our anger, frustration and heartbreak at times like this. It's part of our human makeup. As long as we don't stay there forever, He gets it and understands. We are not expected to understand God's ways, but there's a reason and a purpose. I know that sounds trite, but it's true. There is never a time limit in figuring it out, if we ever do. Me and many others are still p---ed that you're gone Steve, but your impact on our lives, complete with your footprints on the Blue Streak court, will last a very long time. Dennis Stieber Terrell, Texas, formerly of Norwalk