Obituary

Steven C. Lambert, formerly of Bellingham, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, August 21, 2012, in Kirkland, where he had recently moved from Seattle. Steve was 32, born December 29, 1979, in Joliet, Illinois. He was the youngest of 3 sons; his brothers, Andy and Bruce McLellan, were 15 and 13 when he was born. The family moved to Beech Bluff, TN, where his father died when Steve was 18 months old. A year later, Andy went off to college and we moved back to Illinois; two years later, Bruce joined the Air Force. In 3 years time, the family of 5 became a family of 2.

I read bedtime stories to Steve each night, but he found anything but how to books boring. He loved hearing how electricity was made, about the stars and planets, geology, whatever fed his mind with information about the world.
Steve was not easily shaped or guided. He had a mind of his own–a very good mind. When he first learned to talk, he started telling me about things that happened before he could talk, like his brothers setting off rockets in the field behind our house. From the time he was 2, his body, mind and mouth were in constant motion. He was my challenge child, not willing to be tamed.

We moved to Maine, where Steve immediately learned to love lobster and startled others nearby when he tried to eat the antennae. After 4 years, because of his allergies to almost everything, we moved to Washington where Steve could wear all cotton, and Bellingham because of the water, mountains and university. Within a year, his brothers found their way here, then settled in Seattle. Taking on the role of Steves father-figure, Andy then came up every other weekend for years, taking him on bike rides and mountain-climbing. Bruce, the wild child modeled the joys of dirt bikes and tattoos. We had an outstanding neighbor who also took Steve under his wing, patiently teaching him things his mother couldnt and encouraging his creativity. We will always be grateful to you, Jack, for the 10 years you spent shaping, helping and guiding him.

Beyond being curious and usually destructive in the process, Steve took pleasure in the world as he explored it. He was also extremely industrious. At 5, he began mowing our lawn with a reel mower and went door to door asking neighbors to mow theirs. He shoveled driveways at age 6, ours and the neighbors. At age 9, visiting his Aunt Lori, she said he showered at night and put on his clothes for the next day. When she asked him why, he told her so he’d be ready to go when he woke up. No wasting time for this kid.

Steve was always too busy, and he couldnt be bothered with the boring stuff. There was just too much to do, things to explore and learn about. He loved riding his bike and skate-boarding. He built a huge ramp in our back yard and spent hours on that ramp. On hot evenings, he slept on it, until he put out his hand to pat our black cat walking by him, only to notice at the last minute the white stripe on its back.

He found ants covering one of the back porch supports and decided to get rid of them by burning them, not paying attention to the fact that this was a wood support. I walked outside just in time to see what he was doing. Intent on destroying the ants, the thought he might also destroy our house in the process didnt occur to him.

Steve graduated from Explorations High School in 1997, a school I cant praise enough for their staff and curricula. Steve thrived at that school, with its many adventures in experiential learning. He rode his bike to and from school each day, regardless of the weather. They obtained an internship for him at Western Washingtons Universitys Vehicle Research Institute. Steve was their first intern in 20 years. He was partnered with a student to build an electric bike to race. Because of Steve’s design and labor contributions, the student allowed him to race the bike in the contest. Steve and the bike won the race and contest.

Steve was accepted as a student at the VRI and attended for two years, again riding his bike to and from WWU each day. He dropped out because he couldnt be bothered with classes he wasnt interested in. During the summer and after school, Steve worked as a composite technician at Mini-Motors, which was next door to Morrison Glass Art. He was fascinated with their processes and would go over at lunch and after work to watch them. For my birthday, Steve presented me with a large, beautiful, whirled glass plate he bought there for me, claiming it was the replace the turkey platter Id broken last Thanksgiving. He could not understand why I refused to place a turkey on that beautiful work of art.

Steve had a knack for thoughtful gifts, things one wouldnt have thought of but found they were perfect. I once wanted a ceramic dragon like the one Id found as a gift for my sister.. Steve gave me a huge box at Christmas, filled with dragon candlesone almost 2 long.

Visiting Andy in Seattle one November, they attended a reptile show and called me about this gentle boa constrictor. I reluctantly gave in to the pleas and promises and found myself living with a boa constrictor I named Skippygiving it a jump-rope connotation made it easier to live with. Steve insisted one didnt name wild things. He sat at the computer and did homework with that snake wrapped around his neck; he bathed it in our bathtub. Only once did he need help, when Skippy had wrapped herself around his wrists and he couldnt escape. I finally had to touch her, to free my son by uncurling her, hoping she wouldnt entwine us both.

Steves first full-time job was with Lucent Technologies and he moved to Tacoma. When he was laid off in 2002, he sat down with a telephone book, found two businesses he thought could use him and was hired by the first one he called, Composite Laminate Specialties in Pacific, where he worked as a Tooling Specialist, doing work he enjoyed and finding his niche.

In 2004, he moved to Seattle, where he lived for 8 years. Steve loved music and spent much of his free time as a DJ, becoming a pillar of the Seattle Music Scene through his momentous support and enthusiasm for the music he so loved.

In 2009, he worked to create FiberDyne in Kent. In 2011, he began working as CNC Programmer and Project Manager at R.D. Wing in Kirkland, a place which offered him the opportunities for variety and creativity he craved. Steve loved his job and appreciated the people he worked for and with. He considered it to be the best job hed ever had.

Last month he moved to an apartment in Kirkland, finally living near his work. He was very happy to be near the water and parks where he could get back to bike riding, glad to be around trees and grass and a breeze off the water.

Steve is survived by his mother Peggy Lambert in Bellingham; his brother Andy (Cheryl) McLellan in Olympia; his brother Bruce McLellan in the PI; and his aunt Lori and uncle Keith Olkiewicz , cousins Jordan and Brianna, in Ill. He was predeceased by his father, Thurman Lambert (a mechanical engineer who blessed Steve with his genes), in 1981 and his beloved niece Ashley McLellan in 2003.

Steve was highly intelligent, funny, creative, curious, caring, and compassionate. He was always lucky, winning contests, finding things (like a $20 bill in the sand the first weekend at the beach after we moved to Maine, using it to buy his first bike). He overcame a lot of challenges in his life and they made him thoughtful and concerned about others. While he had few family members, we loved him dearly. He was also blessed with many friends, and I thank them with all my heart for their support during this horrendous time. I thank our neighbors over the years and his teachers for all of their support and encouragement and for helping create the man he became.

Steve fully lived every minute of his life. He was unique and he was an outstanding gift. And now my Christmas gift has been returned to its Sender. Im sure they all heard him coming. One always did, with the roar of his car and the blaring bass, and then he’d emerge with that smile, ready to embrace the next adventure.

A graveside service for Steve will be held at 10 AM on Thursday, August 30th, at Bayview Cemetery with a coffee hour following in the Whatcom Room at the Moles funeral home next door.

Please view the memorial and sign the online guest book, and please share your thoughts and memories of Steve for his family.

Farewell Tribute Information

Graveside Service:
Thursday, August 30th at 10:00 a.m.
Bayview Cemtery in Bellingham

Coffee Hour following at Moles Farewell Tributes
Reception Whatcom Room
2465 Lakeway Drive in Bellingham