Before he made the ultimate sacrifice for his country in Iraq three and a half years ago, late Marine Lance Cpl. Stephen Joseph Perez was a bright-eyed student at St. Anthony High School who made friends easily and took pride in playing football for the Yellowjackets.

While Perez was hardly a standout as a two-way end, he relished being part of a team and was respected for his grit, dedication, work ethic and loyalty to his teammates and coaches.

"Stevie loved St. Anthony and he loved playing football," said his father, Conrado Perez Jr., who lives in Eagle Pass.

Stephen Perez, a 2002 St. Anthony graduate, demonstrated the same passion for the Marine Corps after he enlisted in 2004.

"When Stephen said he was joining the Marines, people told him he wouldn't make it because it would be too tough," said Diana Perez, who lives in San Antonio. "But he was determined to make it. He loved the Marines. I believe it was his calling."

Stephen Perez, was killed by shrapnel from an explosion April 13, 2006, in an area between Fallujah and Karma, Iraq. He was 22.

On Saturday, St. Anthony honored Perez by retiring his jersey number in a poignant ceremony before its homecoming game against, fittingly, Harlingen Marine Military Academy at Lang Field.

His mother and only sibling, Kenny, were presented with St. Anthony jersey No. 87 by former Yellowjackets head football coach Frank Vavala and St. Anthony principal Henry Galindo. Another No. 87 jersey will be permanently displayed on the St. Anthony Wall of Fame.

"It was just amazing to see one group come together to remember my brother," said Kenny Perez, 29. "He would have been so honored and so proud. He was always proud to wear that St. Anthony jersey. Stephen was a special person in many ways, and our family is so grateful to the St. Anthony community for honoring him in such a special way.

"Stevie was more than a brother to me. He was my best friend. I think about him every day. It's a constant struggle to make it through the day, but my family helps me by remembering the good times. We do a lot more laughing than crying when we think about him now."

Diana Perez said her son's death is like an "open wound," but she takes solace in knowing he was loved by so many people.

"After he died, we talked to some of the Marines from his unit and they told us Stephen was everybody's best friend," she said. "That's just the way he was, always trying to help people. He thought of others first."

Stephen Perez's maternal grandfather, Tony Pena, served with the Marines and is a Korean War veteran. Pena and two of Diana Perez's sisters, Jeanette Lynch and Annette Gremmer; and Kenny Perez's wife, Misty, and their two children, Nikolas and Stephanie, also attended the ceremony.

Diana Perez said the jersey presentation was difficult but also uplifting.

"It was very touching, very moving," she said. "We felt that Stephen was watching over us, and it couldn't have been a more beautiful day. When the teams ran on the field at the start of the game, I reminisced about the days my two sons played for St. Anthony.

Kenny Perez, a 1998 St. Anthony graduate, also wore No. 87.

"St. Anthony is a very close community and a special place," Diana Perez said. "You consider yourself family when your kids go to school there. It was like going back home when we were there Saturday."

Perez's father, a diabetic who suffers from kidney failure, was unable to attend the ceremony because it's difficult for him to travel.

Conrado Perez Jr. said he went to his room and reflected on his son's life Saturday afternoon.

"The pain in my heart is worse than my physical pain," Perez said. "I went to my little cubby hole where I have my computer and thought of all the great memories I have of Stevie. I'm not embarrassed to say I shed some tears. I'm always wondering why the good die young.

"I was not at St. Anthony physically, but I was there spiritually and mentally. I could feel Stevie's presence. I knew he was at Lang Field, too, with that beautiful smile on his face. He was always smiling."

Conrado Perez, who turns 54 on Oct. 30, was a standout pitcher at Eagle Pass High School and St. Mary's in the 1970s.

"The last three years have been very tough, but I've had a lot of help from a lot of people," said Perez, who lives with his father. "I've learned from people, and I've also been sustained by my faith."

Perez singled out his father and former father-in-law for their support.

"My Dad is a very sharp person and he's also very strong," Perez said. "My father-in-law has been great, too."

Although Stephen Perez's parents divorced when he was an infant, he visited his father and relatives in Eagle Pass regularly.

"He was born in San Antonio, but he always said he was from Eagle Pass, too," Conrado Perez Jr. said. "That was Stevie. He just loved people."

No column on Stephen Perez would be complete without noting that he was a die-hard Spurs fan. Whenever he called home from Iraq, he always had one burning question: How are the Spurs doing?

After Perez was killed, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sent a letter of condolence to the Perez family and invited his parents and brother to a game.

"Coach Popovich wrote us that letter when the Spurs were in the middle of the playoffs," Kenny Perez said. "As busy as he was, he took time to remember my brother. We'll always be grateful to Coach Popovich and the Spurs' organization. Stevie would be so honored that the Spurs thought about him."

Lest we forget, we're the ones who owe so much to Stephen Perez and his family for their sacrifice.

2 Comments

Nathan said:

Thank you for serving our country, may you rest in peace.

October 19, 2009 11:30 PM

Roberto Gonzalez said:

David, thanks again for such an inspiring column. It must be bittersweet to meet such heroic families and write about overwhelming loss;grief. You always pass your awe and deep respect for these fallen heroes to us, your readers. For that, my friend, I thank you. To the Perez Family...may God bless them and give them all the Peace & Love they so deserve.

October 21, 2009 3:10 PM

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