Prayer Request

Please pray for the soul of a man you probably did not know. He was my neighbour, and he was a tireless force for good on the Hill for twenty years. He was found dead of natural causes in his home this morning.

Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine,
et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Te decet hymnus Deus, in Sion,
et tibi reddetur votum in Ierusalem.
Exaudi orationem meam;
ad te omnis caro veniet.
Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine,
et lux perpetua luceat eis.

Grant him eternal rest, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
A hymn becomes you, O God, in Zion,
and to you shall a vow be repaid in Jerusalem.
Hear my prayer;
to you shall all flesh come.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.

Edited to add: a note from the Hilltop Action Coalition.
(slightly edited)

Dear Hilltop Action Coalition community,

Long-time leader and neighborhood supporter Steve Apling died unexpectedly last night. He had not been feeling well these past few days but had assured us that he would be feeling better soon. It is a huge loss for our neighborhood and City, where Steve worked tirelessly to make things better.

Steve served 10 years on the Central Neighborhood Council Board and most recently was active as a Master Gardener in our neighborhood (the Peace Garden Table) and in assisting Hilltop Scholars at the Peace Community Center to be successful in school and in life. Much of Steve’s work was behind the scenes, but he always was there to help.

Steve Apling was a major factor in the turn around of Ferry Park, which was a very troubled spot at one time. Steve was also one of two master gardeners who helped many people on the Hilltop with yard and garden issues. He was also involved in the Tidal Wave of Change group that is working to make the major changes needed in the system so thing run better.

Other involvements include:

• TPD volunteer
• Army retiree who went on to help the military community
• Red Cross Volunteer who helped connect people with military loved ones overseas and in the US
• worked on several behind the scenes groups such as Safe and Clean Teams, TPD Strategic Plan teams
• Block Leader for the 1400 block of Sheridan and 1300 block of Sheridan
• major volunteer in the Christmas dinner that the community put on for TPD
• Chair for the Central Neighbor Council for a decade

As more information becomes available about a possible service for Steve, I will keep you posted. As you can imagine this is a terrible shock for Steve’s family, who live in Oregon and California, and who need to travel here to take care of arrangements.

Please be in prayer for Steve’s family, friends, neighbors and colleagues.

Thank you.