Lonnie Wilkey, former editor of B&R, stands with his close friend Steve York, who recently passed away. — Photo by Lonnie Wilkey
My wife and I recently drove from our home in South Carolina to Tennessee to attend a celebration of life service for one of our dearest friends — Steve York who died a few weeks ago during the time of Winter Storm Fern.
Steve and his wife, Edith, and sons, Tim and John, have been a part of our life for more than four decades. We went on camping trips together, baseball games in Atlanta, and numerous activities along with other families and friends from the church we attended at that time.
Steve was a big man, not only in size, but overall. His smile and personality were infectious. But nothing was bigger than his heart. Only God knows how many people Steve ministered to over the years. Steve and Edith formerly owned a moving company and he used those talents to help countless number of friends move (at no cost) over the years.
He helped me more than once, including when we moved most of our belongings to South Carolina following my retirement from the Baptist and Reflector. Nobody could get more packed in a moving truck than Steve.
And that does not include all the handyman work he did for others over the years, especially after he retired. He loved to help people and he loved doing volunteer work at Shiloh Baptist Church in Mount Juliet, where he was a member at the time of his death.
Steve loved the Lord, his family, his church and his denomination. He was a Tennessee Baptist through and through. He attended several annual meetings of the Tennessee Baptist Convention at his own expense. He constantly promoted the work of the convention, and he was a loyal supporter of the B&R. He taught Sunday School for years and he always encouraged his class to read the paper and especially the Sunday School lessons.
Instead of a traditional funeral, his family held a celebration of life service on Feb. 21. Several hundred people attended throughout the three-hour period to pay tribute to a man who influenced so many people during his short stay on Earth.
Life is a gift from God and every life is worth celebrating. But let’s be honest. When it comes to a Christian life, some people do more to be celebrated than others.
As I drove back to South Carolina, I pondered over several reasons why a Christian life deserves to be celebrated.
I concluded that it all boils down to Mark 12:30-31, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Steve was the embodiment of Mark 12:30-31. May his life inspire us all to live a Christian life worthy of celebration. B&R — Wilkey served as editor of the Baptist and Reflector for 26 years prior to retiring at the end of 2024. He is continuing to contribute to the B&R as a freelance writer and is also writing for the B&R’s partner newspaper, The Baptist Paper, among other publications.
