In Memoriam: Steven Lee Boyer

On August 18 Steve Boyer passed away peacefully in his sleep due to heart failure. He was 53 years old. Steve had been active and well known in the AIDS community in Tucson. He had been a Board Member for SAAF (Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation), where he also worked for a while as a peer counselor. Those who knew him knew him for his intelligence, quick wit, dry sense of humor, and candor. He had a soft heart, and he loved his Coors Regular.

After his first bout with cancer and chemotherapy he decided to start writing a book about his 15 years as a survivor of AIDS. I found the Introduction to that book which he started. I quote him here as it exemplifies his outlook on his HIV: "If you are seriously ill and don't have a sense of humor, you need to make getting one your number one priority. A good sense of humor will help keep the degrading, humiliating, embarrassing and frustrating situations that you will experience from being more traumatic than they actually are".

It is sad that he never finished writing the book. He never let his HIV status stop him from doing things with his life. He remained focused on life and living, up until the end. For the past eight or nine years, I was privileged to have Steve as my closest friend. I grew to love him very deeply. He was a caring person, always there for me and for others as well. He was an amazing man. He excelled at anything he set his mind to do.

Since I have known him he completed a course of study in accounting at Pima College, set up his own income tax business, took up golf, tennis, bowling and his most recent passion: photography. (His photographs are amazing). And, he was into model trains, and an avid member of an East Side model train club in Tucson. He was just completing a detailed scale model of the refurbished Tucson train station when he died. As a tribute to him, the train club he belonged to is going to finish the model for display at their conventions.

Steve is survived by: an older brother Glenn and his daughter, a twin sister Jeri and her two sons, and a younger brother David and his wife Lani and their three children. And, last, but not least, his oldest and dearest friend of thirty years, Antony Graci. It was Steve's wish that he be cremated and buried in Camp Verde beside his mother who died last October. There will be a small family gathering at the gravesite. He did not want a memorial service. Anyone wishing to do so, may make a donation to SAAF or Tihan in Steve's memory. If anyone wishes to pay respects to his family, you may send condolences in care of: Mr. David Boyer, 595 S. Park Circle, Camp Verde, AZ 86322.

May God grant him the peace and serenity he has so rightfully earned in this life.

Love Always, Tony M.