My last memory of "Spilungo" is from Umberto I hospital. Despite the visible toll of his treatment, he encouraged and lifted the spirits of his older roommate... he was "simply" doing what he did best: caring for others, putting his own life aside.
I'd like to remember him through "the clear eyes of a child": not one child in particular, but the dozens and dozens of children who, like me, were fortunate enough to be held by this gentle giant, all six feet, six inches tall.
I always appreciated Stefano's openness to conversation. Even when we didn't always see eye to eye on things, he always took a few minutes to listen to my thoughts, without insisting I see the world his way. I took a few light insults from him over the years, but they were always followed by a smile and a hug.
A patient, good-hearted giant, always ready to help, who had the gift of understanding—sooner and better than most—the beautiful things Father Paul Gilbert listed in his homily at his funeral.
—by Emanuele Mendola, 2015
===FINE===