This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Ruth J. Boody-Family
to remember
Boody, Stephen (Steve) (Sparkswj72), RM2.
If you knew or served with this Sailor and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
UPDATE TO MY INFO: Steve retired from the NYPD, where he served 21 years. He was also a licensed Private Investigator (along with his wife) licensed in NY and AZ. Unfortunately, he developed diabetes type 2 10 years ago, and other illnesses (he was exposed for some time to Agent Orange) and became very sick and basically bedridden, unable to walk, having to be transferred by Hoyer lift from bed to wheel chair and vice versa, and needing 24 hour care..He was in the Nursing Home Unit of the Bronx VA Hospital on Kingsbridge RD, Bronx, NY.and in Hospice Care. , and then in DeWitt Rehabilitation and Nursing Home in NYC, where he passed away.
His death has been declared Service Connected for AO related DM2,, etc. but the rest of his claims are either pending or being resubmitted for reconsideration. His wife, , who is also a licensed Real Estate Broker, runs their Private Investigation business, Platinum Investigations. Up until the end, Steve was mentally aware and loved to talk with his wife. His wife became involved with the Destroyer Escort Radar Picket Ship site, , Veterans Info, and many other military organizations, and she located his shipmates from almost 40 years ago, and kept in close touch with them by email. Though his wife did all the emailing, Steve would chat with his buddies about the hilarious, the shore leaves they didn't remember, but would only allude to the horrors that haunted them all from being in country.
Stephen had both military honors and NYPD Ceremonial Unit honors, at his funeral, and he now sleeps among his brothers in arms in Calverton National Cemetery in Calverton, NY, on Long Island. He is desperately missed.
Pain free, sleep in the arms of the Lord
Sailor, rest your oars
Family Obituary
Date
Not Specified
Last Updated: Jan 30, 2010
Comments
He passed away in a nursing home on March 22, 2009. He has just turned 61. He died of Diabetes Type II and its complications, which the VA has admitted was caused by his exposure to Agent Orange when he was in-country. He was ill for a very long time, but when death comes it is a dreadful loss, even when one knows it is inevitable. I announced his death to several organizations in the following words:
This evening, Steven, my husband, passed away. He died of Agent Orange related illness, from his service in Vietnam. He was ill a very long time, and he did not go "gently"...in that he fought long and hard to live. But finally, his voyage ended. He served his country, and he served his city. He was willing to lay down his life for both. There is nothing more you can ask of a person; that one die a Patriot and a member of The Thin Blue Line. There is no higher honor, nor calling. If that is all one engraved as an epitaph, it would suffice. Ruth J. Boody
His entire viewing, and his funeral was filmed by a documentary filmmaker. He is going to give me a copy. He is trying to bring attention to the deaths of Vietnam Veterans from Agent Orange.
Stephen had full NYPD honors and Navy honors. I have a picture of his flag draped casket, with two sailors guarding the casket. He was interred at Calverton National Cemetery on Long Island. Somehow, a wife never thinks that one day she will be sitting and a sailor in ceremonial dress will hand her the folded flag.
I did not know how to post this to TWS. If you could assist me, I appreciate it deeply. So many of Stephen's shipmates are ill. Stephen received the Combat Action Ribbon, and he expressed to me that he would rather have been KIA than to be struck down, in 1998, with what was to be a long, lingering illness and decline. He was Service connected 40%, he has four claims pending, which I shall pursue now as the claimant. Can Stephen remain on the website? I am the one who posted everything, and I like to keep track of his shipmates and other Navymen he knew, as well as the forums, etc.
Nothing can bring back my husband and best friend, but he died for his country, the bitter irony: 39 years after he served. He was a Patriot, and a member of the Thin Blue Line of the NYPD. Ave atque Vale, Stephen.
