HOLLADAY— Crestview Elementary students and teachers gathered in front of the school Wednesday to witness a memorial dedication for a janitor who affected their community.
Steve Anderson died in January from a lung disease. He won't remembered for the windows, desks, floors or bathrooms he cleaned; he will be remembered for his friendship, said teacher and friend Kelly Kline.
Before he died, Anderson advised community and family members to make donations to Crestview instead of bringing flowers to his funeral. A committee made up of Anderson's family members and work colleagues used those funds to purchase a memorial bench. Kline believes Anderson would approve of its usability.
Anderson worked at Crestview for eight years, declining promotions to work at secondary schools.
"He couldn't give up elementary kids," Kline said. "He never had children, so they filled a little niche in his heart."
The kids loved him, too, said Kline. Each student wrote "Mr. Steve" a card for his birthday, just a month before he passed. Kline said she often saw him reading through the card compilation, two 4-inch thick binders, while he was in the hospital. It would bring a smile to his face, she said.
Students smiled during Wednesday's ribbon-cutting ceremony as they remembered their favorite moments with their friend, "Mr. Steve."
"I am sure that if he was watching he would be laughing and wouldn't believe so much was being done for him," Kline said. "I think today we let him know how much we love him."
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