Steven Haggerty
07/01/1953 – 06/18/2023
As heartbreaking as it was to lose my dear brother Steve, I am grateful for the time we had together. He was a long time cancer survivor. At the time he was diagnosed with lung cancer, the 5 year survival rate was extremely low, yet he lived for 20 plus years after that diagnoses, and the removal of the affected lung. So I consider those 20 years to be a gift. We were raised in Maryland, and I moved to AZ over 40 years ago. After my father’s passing, I persuaded my brother to move to AZ, so I could keep a watchful eye on him, and take him to his doctor appointments and introduce him into our social circle where he was very much accepted into and beloved. (he didn’t drive, so he was very dependent on us). He was a very likeable, funny, friendly, generous and giving person, even when he had so little to give. He was a regular donor to St Mary’s Food Bank, donated his long hair to Locks of Love, he tried to donate blood, but it wasn’t accepted due to his prior cancer, and now, as his final gift, his body has been donated. As children, we experienced typical sibling rivalry. I wanted to tag along with my cool big brother and his friends, and he wasn’t having it, and he always found creative ways to “ditch” his dorky kid sister (me). As we matured, we became great friends, and enjoyed hanging out with each other. After his last hospitization, I started doing well checks on him twice daily. I called him on June 17th, he sounded a bit out of breath, but he told me he was feeling much better mentally. On June 18th, I checked on him for the last time. I was heartbroken to find his lifeless body, but take comfort that he died peacefully in his reclining chair watching TV. My big brother slipped away from us in between well checks. He ditched me for the very last time ! Not as an act of sibling rivalry, but as an act of love. Well played Steve! RIP brother, I love you, and will miss you.
Family and Friends:
Nancy and Dan Osborn, Patricia Haggerty, Joy Haggerty Campbell, Julie Haggerty Gravitt, John Haggerty, Joseph Haggerty and numerous friends