Scott Stephens

Scott Matthew Stephens (45) died unexpectedly from cardiac arrest on May 30, 2021.  He is survived by parents: Gary & Luci Stephens, Daughter: Elise Stephens, Siblings: Shane (Ashley) Stephens, Holly (Chris) Richey, Amber (Nick) Greb, fiancé: Jessica Moser, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

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Scott Matthew Stephens, born November 18th, 1975.

We celebrate the memories of the past, we grieve the life lost in the present, and we rejoice in the future to come, when we shall see Scott again. Memories, grief, and rejoicing are often intertwined.

I pray that this story gives a glimpse of the little boy that grew to be an amazing man; the grace he received and the grace he extended to others.

Scott’s childhood was not always pleasant, and he faced hardships early on. He also had a mischievous, competitive, and fun side! His little sister idolized him, his big brother competed with him, and his big sister ignored him most of the time.  Some of our favorite childhood memories are building forts in our game room, playing foosball, and swimming. We also traveled to the beach every year in a van with the boys in the middle seats and Amber and I on the couch that lay down to a bed.  I slept on these trips and I’m sure  Amber annoyed, I mean watched, the boys play Atari (yes, Atari) the whole way.

Sports played a huge role in Scott’s life. He was an All- American athlete- literally.  As a punter he kicked what he regarded as his perfect punt in high school. The punt traveled 70 yards in the air, 73 yards from the line of scrimmage and a total of 110 yards when it finally came to rest past the end-zone. Scott was recruited to Penn State to punt for the Nittany Lions. He was red shirted his freshman year and felt strongly that he was to return to Arkansas and punt for the University of Central Arkansas. Scott made All-South Region and All-Gulf South Conference his Sophomore, Junior, and Senior seasons. As a Senior he averaged 45.9 yards per punt and wrapped up his college career as a First Team All-American. Scott had many opportunities to pursue a career in football, but he felt the Lord was leading him in a different direction.  However, Scott used his sports to make a difference in the lives of others throughout his life.

Another passion of Scott’s was serving and loving others through Outreach. In high school, he took a summer trip to Venezuela to teach kids about basketball, playing with them and sharing about Jesus. In college, he was part of the Student Mobilization Christian discipleship program where he spent the summer as a group leader, working, living, and sharing the gospel with others. He led a Bible study for his UCA football team and organized and led a prayer time to pray for the Nation: missionaries, persecuted Christians, and for particular people groups. He did two 1-month Mission trips with Frontier Organization to Lebanon and Ethiopia. After college, Scott drove almost every Saturday to Brinkley to play with a group of guys who he said, “know how to play smart ball”. He loved his time with them.  His daily mission was to be authentic, honest, and vulnerable. He took the time to listen, to share, and to care. He proved his words through his actions.

He loved to play and have fun and he felt emotions deeply. His pain and his joys made him who he was. He got his masters and became a licensed clinical social worker and worked for Families, Inc. His boss said Scott was one of the best and he loved his kids and his coworkers. His mission was to serve and love kids in hard places.

For Scott, it was never about money or success but about service and loving one another. Scott loved God and he loved people. Many stories have been told with the same theme…Scott listened…Scott loved… Scott helped…”.  “He sought to understand above being understood”.  One of his favorite songs by Missio reflects his heart well, “I see you when you think that I don’t notice all the scars, I see you, I see you”.

In college, Scott met Kim with who he was married to for 16 years.  They walked through many hardships and joys with one another.  One of them was cancer. In 2007, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He won that battle but was left with the uncertainty of ever having a child. God had other plans and on June 2, 2011, his greatest joy was born, Elise Tahlia May Stephens. The connection between Scott and Elise was undeniable to anyone who was near them. Kim said that Scott was the best dad. He always made time for Elise whether it was playing video games, eating pizza rolls and watching Teen Titans Go, or helping her achieve her goals and dreams. Scott and her mom, Kim, worked together to make Elise feel comfortable, safe, and loved. On the day of his passing, Elise told her mom that as they were praying, she felt her daddy holding her hand. What a beautiful confirmation that she would always be daddy’s little girl, holding her hand and forever in her heart.

Then… Scott met Jessica Moser.  They both knew they had found something special in one another. We got a glimpse of that when we met her for the first time at our family Christmas. We knew she was a sure fit in our family when she sang a hilarious song her grandmother made up called “Thing-be”. His smile said it all. Scott was like a giddy schoolboy whenever she was around or even at the mention of her name. He already referred to himself as her husband and on the day of his passing, Jessica held his hand wearing her wedding ring and band.  Jessica and Abbie will always be part of our family.

As I read and heard information about my brother, several Bible verses came to my mind. One of which is 2 Corinthians 5:17   Therefore if anyone is in Christ, the new creation as come: The old is gone, the new is here.  Scott loved people. He did not focus on the old but was able to look at their wounds, knowing the scars of their past would bring healing to their future. He was willing to step into other people’s stories and travel with them on that journey.

He also loved to conquer a project; whether taking an old deck and restoring it or taking a house and renovating it. He was so excited about his house project. My parents were a little worried when he brought them to a house with a huge hole in the floor! But that hole turned into a custom shower, floor, sink and vanity. It was so fun to hear him get so excited about closets!

Scott Matthew Stephens, departed from this earth on 5/30/2021.

On May 27th, we received the call no one wants to answer. Your son, your fiancé, your brother, your friend…has collapsed while participating in a spin class. He is being taken to the hospital. We could not have imagined that our 6’7 healthy guy would be taken from us a few days later. So many unanswered questions… The days in the hospital were filled with celebration, grief, and rejoicing. Stages of grief are fluid. The days ahead will bring sadness, anger, but they will also be filled with memories that bring laughter and joy. Please do not hesitate to bring up his name and to allow us to talk and share about him. Physically he may gone, but he will forever and eternally be a part of our hearts.

I think Scott would want to leave his “bubble”, the term he used when referring to those he cared deeply for, with this: Live fully, Love God, Love others; extend Grace. Take time to listen and “understand above being understood” … and dance. He loved to dance to the lyrics of Imagination by Foster the People: “We can’t change the things we can’t control, its summer somewhere, so you shouldn’t be cold, just use your imagination.”

We will take your advice little (big) brother…we love you. Thank you for loving God and loving us and we will look forward to dancing with you again someday.

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Memorial service will be held at Central Baptist , 5200 Fairway, NLR, AR, 501-771-1125 on Tuesday, June 8.  Visitation 10am, Service 11am.

Arrangements by Smith North Little Rock Funeral Home , 1921 Main St, North Little Rock, AR 72114, 501-758-1170.