'He was never on the sidelines'

longtime Moses Lake businessman whom friends described as a constantly positive family man died last week.

Stephen Edward McFarland, 49, died Thursday at 5:34 p.m. at his home in Moses Lake after a long battle with renal cell cancer.

McFarland and his family, comprised of his wife Tammy and their 17-year-old daughter Stephanie and 13-year-old son Evan, came to Moses Lake 12 years ago for his job as general manager of the Hallmark Inn.

McFarland worked for Hagadone Directories as Columbia Basin market manager for three years until the time of his death.

Mass of Christian burial for McFarland is Wednesday at 4 p.m. at the Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, located at 200 N. Dale Rd., in Moses Lake.

Many of McFarland's friends and family members took time to share their thoughts of a true gentleman, often describing his love for life, his eternal optimism and his devotion to his family and his community.

"He was vibrant," Tammy McFarland said of her husband of 19 years. "He truly loved life. He was a wonderful father and a tremendous husband. He was humorous and witty, and he knew how important it was to give to his community. He did a great deal of that. He truly knew how to live. He was never on the sidelines. He was always active, doing and having fun."

"He was a hilarious and charming dad," Stephanie said. "Even in tough times, he always had people laughing. He had that gift."

"My dad was a wonderful dad because you had fun while you learned," Evan said. "That is one reason he was such a terrific football coach. If you were with my dad, you were having fun and laughing."

Spencer Grigg said McFarland and his family were responsible for bringing the Grigg family into the swim team experience with the Moses Lake Manta Rays. McFarland and Grigg also worked together when McFarland was chairman on the Moses Lake Tourism Commission and president of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce.

"Foremost he was a friend, a prince of a guy," Grigg said. "He was a great example to me. He loved his family more than anything on the planet. He cared a lot about this community and making it the best it could be. He was just a very kind gentleman, in the real sense of the word."

"He was one of those guys that always had something positive going on and could always put a positive spin on things and make it out to where it didn't seem bad," said Alan Heroux. "He was just one of those guys that could make you feel good about things. Steve was always there, always willing to help and always looking at the positive on things."

Moses Lake Assistant to the Superintendent P.J. De Benedetti said McFarland was a "frequent contributor" who loved to laugh.

"He was just a very positive guy who was always looking for the good in things, and wanted to do what he could to make Moses Lake a better place to live," De Benedetti said. "I think he did that. He'll be dearly missed."

Bev Shuford worked alongside McFarland on the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce board of directors.

"He was an exceptional leader, very dedicated and a true inspiration," Shuford said. "He could keep a situation on point, but yet he kept it very light. I think his humor touched all our lives. This whole entire community, he touched a lot of lives, he really did."

Hans Warkentin's favorite times with McFarland included coaching the Grid Kids and watching football on television in McFarland's garage.

"Steve was a very vibrant person," Warkentin said. "He was a real guy. What you saw was what you got. He liked life, he didn't have any hidden agendas. He was him."

"In my mind, he was always cheerful, enthusiastic and courageous," Mike Bolander said. "His life was focused on serving others, which made him a perfect fit in our Rotary club. Steve McFarland invested himself and his family in the community, and we're all richer for having known him, and we'll all miss him."

Hagadone Directories Sales Manager Sandy Hill said McFarland fought his battle with cancer courageously.

"I visited with Steve about 10 days ago," Hill said. "He was still very alert, knew all about his accounts here in the Columbia Basin, and said he wished he could call on them this year."

Hill called McFarland a mentor for her crew.

"When we got down, we could talk to Steve," she said. "He was just very optimistic all the time. Anytime we needed help or anything, we could always call Steve and he would always have an optimistic look on life. I just admire everything he and his family have been through. His wife was just as courageous as Steve."

Anytime Juliann Dodds needed help with a project, McFarland always stepped up to help her.

"He was an amazing supporter of Moses Lake and the vision of Moses Lake," Dodds said. "He cared deeply about the issues which affected the quality of life in our town, and he was very supportive of all children's activities. He was one of the most kind, gentle and caring souls I ever had the pleasure to do things with."

Monte Redal mostly knew McFarland as a fellow soccer dad, since their sons would play in sports together and became good friends.

"We spent time on the sidelines, mostly talking and laughing," Redal said. "He was just an all-around great guy, great personality, great sense of humor."

News of McFarland's passing hit Redal's son hard, because McFarland would always treat him well. Redal believes McFarland's personality had an effect on children.

"The way he treated kids speaks volumes about the kind of character he had and the kind of person he was," he said. "He would joke around with them, and always had something to say, some comment to make. Kids just genuinely liked being around him."

Hagadone Directories Co-Owner and President Jim Hail said McFarland was an inspiration for him and for his team.

"I'm not sure I could find the words to describe the kind of gentleman Steve was," he said. "There are so many people I encounter who seem to find the problems in life. Steve faced real challenges and real problems. In all the time he battled his illness, I never heard him complain one time about 'Why me?' or 'Why this?' He never said a word, just that he was going to do his best to be successful in his fight against the disease and he had every intention of working through his challenges. He was just a pillar of strength I would marvel at."