Justin W. Stephan, Mayor

Gun’s Quote-of-the-Week:

“On the death of a friend, we should consider that the fates through confidence have devolved on us a task of a double living, that we have henceforth to fulfill the promise of our friend's life also, in our own, to the world.”

-Henry David Thoreau

I must have read the E-Mail on Tuesday a dozen times in the office, distracting me from the tasks at hand and causing me to forget, in that moment, what I was working on anyway.

It was an E-Mail from Dr. Tim Miller, my boss at Boys State. (Whom you may recall was mentioned in the last Gun’s Quote) He regretted to inform me and my fellow Operations Staff members that one of our own passed away the evening before. That staff member was Justin W. Stephan. He was 30 years old.

Justin and I were friends. He and I were both on staff at Missouri Boys State, albeit in different roles. I worked in Operations, and Justin worked with the Legislative School. Justin’s passion for Missouri Boys State was enormous. An avid political activist and civil servant, Justin was deeply inspired by Missouri Boys State to go out and change the world. In his thirty short years, he did just that.

I don’t know that he had enemies. That’s perfectly odd to type considering that politics can be, and often is, a bloody sport of sorts with one man tearing down another in a brutal competition of power and force. Justin simply didn’t work that way. To be sure, he had disagreements with many. Some of his closest friends were Boys State Staff members who were on the opposite side of the political spectrum as his own personal beliefs, but Justin somehow never allowed such disagreements to interfere with his coveted friendships. Perhaps that’s because Justin exemplified what politics is SUPPOSED to be about: Service.

Justin was too humble and too caring to bother with accumulating power. He genuinely believed that the greatest strength was giving power to others. That’s why he so passionately served a program which inspired young men to go out and shape their communities, country and world. That is why he served his community of Appleton City, a small, rural town in west-central Missouri, as mayor. That is why he served as Chief Justice of the Student Government of the College of the Ozarks. It’s why he helped found the Sons of the American Legion Squadron #999, and then went around to as many Boys State Staff members as possible to recruit them in to the squadron to give the American Legion new life-blood in a long-serving, but aging, organization. To Justin, politics was about serving others and making their lives better, not about accumulating power for one’s self.

Perhaps that’s why former Missouri Governor Bob Holden showed up to his funeral. Perhaps that’s why the City employees of Appleton City showed up. Perhaps that’s why the Legion Riders showed up. Perhaps that’s why dozens of Legionnaires showed up. Perhaps that’s why members of the local VFW post showed up. Perhaps that’s why over 60 of my fellow Missouri Boys State Staff members showed up. Perhaps that’s why a letter from China from a citizen he helped mentor this year showed up. Perhaps that’s why cars of family, friends and relatives lined six or more city blocks because there was no more room to park. Perhaps that’s why the local high school gymnasium had to be used as the venue for his funeral. Perhaps that’s why the gym was packed.

Towards the conclusion of the service, Director of Missouri Boys State Mike Plunkett addressed the congregation. At the conclusion of his speech, he pointed out that we, his family and friends, would have to carry Justin’s legacy on in our own lives now that he is no longer here to do so himself. That is a tall order. One does not simply change their character to be so selfless and thus answer the call to service in the manner that Justin did. The manner that included never meeting a stranger. The manner that included always smiling. The manner that included friendship, even with opponents. Justin was old-school, simple, humble and real. Carrying that legacy seems daunting.

Yet, his friends can memorialize him best not by the dozens of stories posted on Facebook, not by this Gun’s Quote, not by writing checks to the organizations that he cared about, but by doing the hard and grueling task of being the man that Justin was to the people around us.

As I re-read and proof the above which I have typed, I feel my words are too inadequate to describe such a man who was seemingly bigger than life but never acted like it. Thirty years isn’t enough to give to somebody who was so gifted, so loving, so passionate and so caring about making the world a better place to live for everybody. So my challenge is not making this Gun’s Quote eloquent or worthy of telling Justin’s story, but of living it myself. That will take more than a Sunday afternoon’s worth of typing. That will take a lifetime of tireless devotion to family, community and country with the bar raised a little higher than it was before.

I’ve got to wrap this Gun’s Quote up. The day is still young, and I’ve got to get started.

…and that’s why it’s a Gun’s Quote!