Ever meet someone who really loves his job? Where the job is more vacation than vacations? Steve was that guy. Almost. You can’t dive for abalone building landscapes, after all. He passed away a couple of days ago, something nobody expected. He headed Park Place Landscapes, our go-to construction company. Everyone loved working with him, not just us. We collaborated on a variety of landscapes around the Sacramento area.
He called us to a project to create some base sheets. I called him when they were ready, and he said he’d be over the next day. Turns out, he had a serious medical issue. Yes, that Steve, the one who taught hot yoga, took intense bike rides and dove for abalone in freezing turbulent water without any issues. He trekked around on a motorcycle. None of this ended him. Rogue wave? Missed a turn? No. He went peacefully in a hospital bed. “It is what it is” he might say. He did a lot of excavating, but now he’s left a hole nobody can fill.
Steve at work
Jobs ran smoothly – or as smoothly as possible with Steve. He made sure everything was set to go from the start, and followed every detail of a project. He took great care of his clients, too. They always knew what he was up to, and if there was a delayed item, he kept them in the loop – and often told them there would be a delay before starting the job, especially with stone fountains.
His team could build from scratch, too. They could weld, do woodworking, build walls, pour concrete. For masonry, Dave stepped up for tile, rock and other installation once Steve poured the concrete. It was a good arrangement for everyone. TJ seconded Steve, with his broad range of skills from lighting to irrigation and everything (except masonry) in between.
Projects across the years
Sometimes we’d bring him a project, sometimes it would go the other way. We would meet regularly or talk on the phone to work out the more difficult projects, although once we drew something Steve could figure out how to make it reality.
