One of our own is gone - Memories of Steve "Stevew" Wilson

Dawg · July 23rd, 2009, 07:58 AM

I have received an email through the Fleets server I feel compelled to share immediately. I have received very sad news that impacts us all.

According to the email I received this morning from his niece, on Monday, July 20, Steve Wilson (known as Stevew to us here) suffered a massive heart attack, and has passed away.

You all know the impact Steve and his Galactica art has had on this site and our corner of the internet universe. We have lost one of our shining stars, one of our greatest talents.

For those who can attend, there will be a memorial held Saturday, August 1st at 11:00 A.M. at Gates Kingsley & Gates Praisewater Mortuary, 6909 Canoga Ave, Canoga Park, CA, 91303.

Please PM me for contact information if you need to.

My prayers are with his family, and with us all.

I am
Dawg

EDIT BY WARRIOR- Added the image created by a member farther down in the thread.

axg423 · July 23rd, 2009, 08:21 AM

I too received an e-mail from his niece about Steve's death. Though I personally didn't know him, we corresponded for years via e-mail. Steve convinced me to purchase Truespace & was very helpful to me in my use of the package(I still can't create but can make scenes with his meshes). He never held back anything about CGI and was always very friendly & helpful to me. I believe the world of CGI has lost one of its great artists. I know the BSG universe definitely has. As always Steve, thank you for all the help you gave me.

Rest in Peace my friend.

Alan

Titon · July 23rd, 2009, 12:52 PM

I am at a loss for words. I've lost a dear dear friend and my heart sank when you sent me the email John.

I'm utterly stunned over this. I've known Steve before the creation of Fleets. We go back to the day's as some of the original Gladiators. I met Steve at Galacticon many years ago and have never met a more engaging individual.

I will miss you my friend.

With deepest sympathy from my family to yours.

gmd3d · July 23rd, 2009, 01:23 PM

Man, this sad news has hit me hard

.. he was a great help when I started in CGI , while I later moved to a different program he was still a great source of encouragement and humour.

I will miss him greatly.

good bye my friend.

My thought are for his family and friends.

Darrell Lawrence · July 23rd, 2009, 02:54 PM

I truly don't know what to say. I received the e-mail and have been stunned since.

Like Don, I knew Steve long before Fleets, back in the earlier 3DG days, and also met him at Galacticon 2003.

His works will live on here as long as this site stands. Steve served as an artists inspiration. It is HIS 3d work that I loved seeing and converting to a format so I could use it.

We nick named him the Fleet Model Machine, and he lived up to that.

Steve, you will TRULY be missed. It's rare to find people you can call a best friend, an inspiration and an all around good guy rolled into one. You fit that to a "T" and then some.

We at Fleets... no... we from the 3D/CGI communities around the world will miss you.

Godspeed, my friend, and may the Lords of Kobol grant you access to the Ship of Lights.

Darrell Lawrence · July 23rd, 2009, 02:59 PM

BTW, I will be attending his memorial.

David Kerin · July 23rd, 2009, 03:04 PM

I am shocked and sad to hear this. Seeing his work was something that definitely got me into trying the CGI thing. Always a nice guy and so open to share everything he did with the fandom. It's so hard to believe he is no longer with us.

Kronus · July 23rd, 2009, 03:21 PM

Wow, what a shock...I remember when I first went over to 3DGladiators and seen his work. I remember when I first came here to fleets and seen his work. I remember downloading the free Truespace software (v7.6 I think) because of him.

This is a sad day for us all...rest in peace our fellow warrior.

JSC1 · July 23rd, 2009, 03:25 PM

Oh man. This is a shock.

martok2112 · July 23rd, 2009, 05:39 PM

Shocking and heartwrenching news. I did not know Steve all that well, but we did correspond a couple of times. He was definitely one of the inspirations that, to this day, drives me to learning 3D modeling and animation, and he was a great source of encouragement to pursue visual effects, even in my own limited way.

Good bye, Steve. You will be greatly missed.

My sincerest condolences go to his family and to those who knew him better.

BST · July 23rd, 2009, 07:54 PM

I try to wipe away the tears but, it doesn't help. Part of my heart just left me, reading the news of Steve's death.

I've known Steve (via this wonderful internet) for the last 6 years and he always had one of the nicest, most upbeat personalities that I would encounter in the course of a day. He was truly a gentle man.

His artistic talent speaks for itself but, while I was impressed with the artwork, I was more impressed with the willingness he had to help others any way that he could.

Steve,

I'm going to miss you, my friend but, I will not grieve. I will smile and take comfort that you are embarking on a journey that will take you to a better place, free of pain and sorrow.

Farewell, my friend.

July 23rd, 2009, 09:51 PM

Heaven just got a whole lot brighter.
I'm still in shock, but I met Steve also in LA back in '03 and what a lovely man. My prayers are with his family and friends.
He'll be sorely missed around here.

Darrell Lawrence · July 23rd, 2009, 09:54 PM

This thread is for stories about Steve. His family wants his life celebrated, and I agree- What he meant to us should be celebrated.

Feel free to post any little stories you have about Steve, whether it be working with one of his models, any interaction with him, maybe a piece of art you did with one of his models. He was always proud to see his stuff used by others.

My little story is of Galacticon.

One of the main reasons Steve wanted to go was to see Richard Hatch's trailers for The Second Coming. He initially forgot that Richard would be showing The Great War Of Magellan as well.

Steve was giddy as a school girl on Prom Night when Richard showed GWoM. Why? Because Steve modeled a couple little spaceships that were used in the trailer, and he was happy as all get out that HIS little ships were flying around on a screen in a trailer.

He was always impressed with others works, and considered himself just a guy that liked to model. Yet there it was in living color in the trailer- His work in full motion. I'll always remember how he thought that totally rocked.

Sarika · July 23rd, 2009, 10:38 PM

I am truly sorry to hear this news, as I have just come back from a funeral today for a sister-in-law of a good friend of mine.
My prayers and sincere condolences go out to Steve's family and his friends.

His work has clearly been a deep source of inspiration to many here, and it will live on to all.

May your soul be at peace and may the beings of light greet you with warmth and love. You are eternal and you will live on.

CBSG4ever · July 23rd, 2009, 11:12 PM

Oh my Lord! I am stunned and deeply saddened upon hearing this news. My sincerest condolences go out to his family and friends. My prayers are with you all in this difficult time.

I did not know him well but did chat with him in posts a few times. I recall once that Martok, Stevew and I had a rather humorous conversation about our 1st names. He seemed like a very friendly person. I wish I could've gotten to know him a bit better.

Several years ago, before I joined Fleets, my best friend downloaded some CGI pics of the Galactica. I had never seen them before but thought they were incredibly amazing. Later, after joining here, I realized they were done by Steve. How fortunate we are to have his work here to remember him by. I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate his work. He will be missed but not forgotten. Godspeed Steve. *half-staff*

peter noble · July 24th, 2009, 02:57 AM

When Dawg told me about this I was shocked. It's hard to talk about someone you knew only virtually, and then not very well, but I remember Steve's enthusiasm for Battlestar Galactica and his talent for CG modelling.

He was welcoming and friendly and this fandom and this site will be a poorer place without him.

May he rest in peace.

Peter

kingfish · July 24th, 2009, 06:15 AM

I just read the news over at Tombs of Kobol and almost fell off my chair.

Steve will be missed.

Paul

Dawg · July 24th, 2009, 08:28 AM

I wish I'd gone to Galacticon....

I remember that Steve was one of the first to greet me when I first found Fleets, back in 2003. There was nobody nicer or more welcoming - and that's saying a lot, considering how nice and welcoming just about everybody else was, and is.

But from that day to this, I have been spellbound by the images he created, and more than impressed by not only his skill and talent, but by his generosity and willingness to share his knowledge with anyone who asked. Steve was a gentleman, in all the best connotations of the word - and he never failed to show it.

I'm going to miss him.

I am
Dawg

BST · July 24th, 2009, 09:43 AM

Like John, my initial encounters with Steve were in my early days at Fleets when all that I knew was that I loved Galactica. Even though, I knew nothing about CGI and the types of artwork that could be produced with a simple computer, Steve welcomed me like a good host would and encouraged me to enjoy myself here. It didn't matter that I was not an artist. I was welcomed because I was simply another person who enjoyed Galactica.

As a green, wet-behind-the-ears online newbie, I can't adequately describe how much that meant to me.

Before we had the Gallery open for business, I used to venture to Renderosity and view the pics there. As with John, I was spellbound by Steve's work. It looked so real, I felt like I could just reach out and touch it.

His willingness to share his knowledge was especially impressive to me. I can look at a number of posts where the underlying thought is "if there is anything I can do to help, let me know" or "take what you need, if it will help you". He truly enjoyed his work and wanted to share that joy with others.

His wonderful presence will be sorely missed and my life is a little less rich than it was last week.

Be at peace and enjoy your rest, my friend.

Rest In Peace

Steve Wilson

Malkyte · July 24th, 2009, 10:20 AM

I did not know Steve very well, but I knew of him and his wonderful work!

This is truly a sad day.

RIP Steve.

Denes

ernie90125 · July 24th, 2009, 10:55 AM

I´m stunned to hear of Steve´s death, we spoke here and there, a really nice guy....

RIP and condolences to his family....

stumer · July 24th, 2009, 11:33 AM

Sad news indeed! Thanks to Dawg for sending me notice of this tragic event and my condolences to all who knew Steve directly or indirectly. This hobby of ours is poorer today without him, and richer for his past efforts.

May the Lords of Kobol watch over his spirit, and may we all long remember Steve for his talent, warmth, and generosity (not to mention patience with all noobs!)

So say we all!

'Drew
https://studiobergstrom.com/

oldwardaggit · July 24th, 2009, 12:11 PM

I'm one of the many here that never met the man face to face but I also remember his words on this board and others .

My condolences to his family, and friends here on this and other boards.
I know I don't post here much anymore but at one time this place was like family and he was a part of those fond memories.

OWD

michaelfaries · July 24th, 2009, 02:37 PM

Where does one start?

Steve was an incredibly good-hearted soul, amazing CG artist, a true Warrior and a dear friend.

I talked with members of his family yesterday. As many of you may know, Steve was an intensely private person. But all of them knew about his devotion and passion for the original "Battlestar Galactica." They knew all-too-well how it fueled his hobbies, his artistry and his creativity.

When many of us worked tirelessly to bring Richard Hatch's vision of BSG to fruition (then Bryan Singer & Tom DeSanto's), Steve did more behind the scenes than most know.

Memorable story: While running RichardHatch.com, BattlestarGalactica.com and BattlestarPegasus.com, I had an old clunker of a workstation. Great for coding, good for Photoshop work, but lousy for CG work. (And I squeezed that machine dry to get images for the websites.)

One day, Steve and I were talking on the phone -- and I lamented how painful it was to get CG cranked out. Without any hesitation, Steve offered me his old motherboard/CPU which he'd recently replaced. No cost whatsoever, "what's your mailing address?"

Within a week, he sent it.

Because of him, I was able to uplevel my CG renders for the websites, pump out more imagery, etc. If you knew the technical scope of his work (like Don, Darrell and others did), he always needed a faster machine. The man was a remarkable, devoted talent. And VERY modest and humble.

When his family notified me of his death, I literally choked up, began sobbing like a baby. My eyes are filling full of tears as I type this.

I kept meaning to get myself down to L.A. to see various friends, including Steve. But life has kept me focused on the homefront, particularly with my wife recovering from a serious bout of breast cancer. Steve would joke, "Ah, you don't need to see me! You're too busy!" (To which I would say, "Lunch. Just lunch! I just need to get down to Northridge.")

I'll never forget seeing him stroll into Galacticon back in 2003. His first sci-fi convention. I think he was more astonished he made it there than being astonished about the event itself. hehe

This reminds me PAINFULLY of when I was supposed to interview John Colicos on the day he passed away. One day earlier, we would have had some of John's wit and wonderful stories to treasure, beyond our bereavement of him. I only wish I had one more day to catch up with Steve.

Life is too short. And I may not have enough tears for my feelings of loss for this extraordinary soul. I've shared with his family; I feel such sorrow for his best friend (his sister), his wife Lily, his niece and his other family members.

I really, really miss you, man.

Michael

P.S. With life being too short, feel free to catch up with me on Facebook. Michael Faries - Silicon Valley (California) Hope ALL of you are doing well.

Titon · July 24th, 2009, 03:36 PM

Quote:

P.S. With life being too short, feel free to catch up with me on Facebook.

One's passing always seems to bring loss soles back together again. It's been way to long my friend but it is good to see your words again Michael.

I hope all is well with you and yours and i second your words about Steve. He and i would talk about many things on the phone and i never met a more humble man. Like you it is hard to type at the moment because i've also lost a dear dear friend.

Take care of yourself Michael.

Don

dah66 · July 24th, 2009, 07:06 PM

Very sad news. My heart goes out to his family. He was always friendly and his art work was incredible. He will be missed.

animaniac · July 25th, 2009, 02:17 AM

Thats very shocking, i knowed him long from here and loved his great work, specialy the datailism of his great Models. My condolences to his Family from Vienna /Austria, a great Artist is gone.

Raymar3d · July 25th, 2009, 08:15 PM

.... I opened my email this evening and was catching up on stuff and saw this terrible news....

I knew Steve mostly from the forums as a very cordial, uplifting and enthusiastic artist. He had a passion for his work but also for making the world a better place. Michael's story reminds me of the time that Steve came over to my house when I used to live just a few miles away. He came over to the house one day and I showed him the Battlestar Trailer we had worked on years ago, and he smiled. He had come over to see if he could help with The Great War of Magellan. By that time, I was about to move back to Austin, and we had sort of wrapped as far as my involvement was going. We had a nice afternoon talking war stories and BSG and stuff. He was just all around a very nice guy, and I'm very honored to have met him.

I wish I could attend the memorial. But I just started a brand new job and there is no way I could make it at this point. But I will be there in spirit, and I truly will miss Steve. He was a gentleman, and his talent and friendship will be missed.

I am sorry I have not spent more time here at CF like I used to, but I sort of moved on from Battlestar. As much as I still love it, life goes on. But I think that now I will make a greater effort to return here more often. I really do miss the old days, and I will miss Steve very much.

I too am on Facebook, Kenneth Thomson Jr. in Austin, Texas. Feel free to drop by and chat any time. I only recently got on it and it has been very nice to reconnect with a lot of old friends. Now I wish I had come back here sooner.

Sincerely,

Ken

jewels · July 27th, 2009, 11:44 AM

This is a shock. I've been offline most of the summer (something about a preschooler obsessed with "outside").

Steve was always kind, a gentle heart, and his love of designing variations of colonial warships knew no bounds. His International Space Station art is equally impressive—especially since most of it was created before duo-core processors. I got to meet him at Galacticon, also. It was a privilege to know him and he is truly irreplaceable.

My sympathies to his family, especially his wife.

Jewels

mikala · July 27th, 2009, 06:45 PM

Just got my internet back online and found this terrible terrible news.
Steve was always so kind and encouraging.
His Galactica was one of the first I had ever seen in 3d on the net and was in awe. What was even more special was that he shared as well as created. Never asked for a thing in return. Steve wherever you are you were and will always be one of the good guys that brings a smile to a persons face when you remember them!
I know I won't be the only one to miss his comments and interaction on the forums.
Bye Steve.