Stephen Blakely

Stephen was born July 20, 1946 and grew up in Green-point, Brooklyn. Stephen attended Iona prep and Iona college in New Rochelle, New York, receiving his bachelor's degree in business administration in 1969. Upon graduation, Stephen briefly educated elementary students before serving as a Medic in the army.

After returning to Brooklyn, Stephen managed multiple delicatessens in New York. Realizing his true passion was in the medical field, he returned to school to receive a degree in nursing. He was a loyal employee at Staten Island University Hospital, where he was an OR nurse for 25 years. After retiring, he decided to return to work at RUMC for 5 years. Professor Blakely later had the opportunity to educate young minds at Kingsborough Community College, so they may follow in his footsteps.

With his vast knowledge of history, Stephen loved taking road trip’s to explore the United States; always with a Manhattan special in hand, smoking a morning J and a pack of Marlboro lights. Trips to the Happiest place on earth, late nights with family and enjoying holidays with his loved ones were what Stephen loved most, all while taking photos of each moment this way we could remember it all from his perspective when he is gone.

A beloved father, husband, brother, grandfather, pop, uncle, friend and mentor to many that will carry on his legacy.

Stephen will always be remembered as a great conversationalist who inspired others with his wisdom and knowledge.

Survived by his loving wife Tracey, his sons Christopher, Michael, Samuel and Tommy, daughters Alexandra and Stephanie, along with his grandchildren Caitlin and Michael. Stephen took great pride in his grandson Ryan, who he helped mentor and make into the man he is today.

As Stephen takes his final road trip home, he will be joining his loving parents Ann Marie and Richard, siblings Anne and Richard, his second mother Dot, his smoking buddies Dolores and Sal, his favorite dogs Otto and Blitz, along with many finches, farm animals, his cat Coco and especially the most loyal feline who stood by his side for 20 years, Spanky.

A visitation for Stephen will be held Thursday, October 6, 2022 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Casey McCallum Rice South Shore Funeral Home, 30 Nelson Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10308. A funeral service will occur Friday, October 7, 2022, at 11:15 AM at St. Clares Church, 110 Nelson Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10308.

Eulogy

Good morning, my name is Nada Essmidi. I apologize if I stop or struggle during this speech. I love Pop more than words can express, but I want to do right by him and for him here.

I had the privilege of being a student of Blakely’s almost 10 years ago. When I met him in March 2013, I was a first semester student in the Kingsborough College surgical tech program. At the time, I was a single-mother of two children under the age of 4. You know that feeling on the first day of school in a new school, where you’re certain that everyone can see you don’t belong? I was plagued by that feeling. I believed that I was behind the ball and that this program would be impossible for me to finish. I am a very spiritual and faith driven person, but when I started this program I was struggling with my faith. I was desperate for inspiration and for support because I did not have those things in my life.

When I was assigned to Professor Stephen Blakely, it was the best thing that could have happened. Pop, as we came to call him, refused to accept that I was a lost cause. He believed in me. Every student he ever taught knew they had a real champion in their corner. During my first days with him, Pop pulled me to the side to tell me that Surgical technology was just my beginning. Blakely promised me that I will complete the program. He knew I had that capacity before I did. Inspiration to do something outside of your comfort zone is not always intrinsic, sometimes you need someone give you a push. I was in this program to be a surgical tech, I never dreamed I had the hope of being more or doing more. But Pop is like a spark to tinder, once he reached me, I was on fire with dreams and goals. He told me that not only will I complete my associate’s program in Surgical Technology, but once I finished this program, I must get my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He told me that I would not just scrape by or do “good enough” for my kids, but that I would have a bright career and my kids would have a great life because I had the talent and intelligence to provide the life I wanted for me and for my two little ones.

My experience with Blakely is unique to me but it was not unique for Blakely. Everyone in the program called him Pop because that is who he was. Just like a good father, Blakely was supportive, charismatic, protective, and he taught us how to survive. He willingly got stabbed with a needle ten times a day so he could teach us how to draw medication. If a nurse in a clinical was mean, abusive, or dismissive of a student - well that nurse was going to get an ear full of Blakely. Pop once gave another student money to buy a cellphone because they could not afford one and he didn’t think it was safe to walk around without one. The student tried to pay him back, but Blakely simply wouldn’t take the money. He didn’t want the money; he wanted his student to be safe and he wanted to make sure they got the most out of the program.

But we didn’t just love Blakely because he was supportive, we also loved him because he really could see us for who we are. He took care of us no matter how dumb we were being. There was this one time in clinical, I was standing in the operating room without goggles. A decision I made because at 22 I was worried about smearing my eye makeup with googles. So of course, I get splashed in the forehead with drops of blood. Instead of panicking about blood being on my face, I was worried Blakely would catch me doing the wrong thing. So, I look up and there he was staring through the small glass operating room window. In seconds, Blakely pulls me out of the room, points to the bathroom and tells me to go wash my face with soap and water. In my head I was thinking I can just wipe the blood with alcohol swabs, so I don’t ruin my make up. And it was as if he read my mind because he looked me right in the eye, with that Blakely look, and said, " I don’t give a shit about ruining your makeup. GO! WASH! YOUR FACE!”

Stephen Blakely was my instructor, but from that day on he became a mentor, and a second father to me. But he also had a beautiful wife, many children and grandchildren that he loved and cared for with all of his heart. When I think of how much he gave me with his love and support, I am overwhelmed to realize that he did that for everyone. You see Blakely said something to us once. I apologize if my wording is not exactly right, but this is how I remember it:

“I don’t care about the color of your skin. I don’t care about your religion; religion is the luck of your birth. If I don’t like you, it’s not because of the color of your skin, it is probably because you’re a asshole.”

Blakely taught me that my sense of being different or separate from others because of my race or my religion doesn’t mean I should exclude myself. Good People, people with big hearts like Blakely will see me for my character and my full humanity. He was a humanitarian. To think that he lived a life with multiple careers, a full family experience, a full and charitable nature… He was a larger-than-life man. The man that launched hundreds of nurses and hundreds of surgical techs. The man that raised a beautiful family and fought through illness, but never even came close to giving up. He was a wonderful and overwhelmingly large soul with an influence that will extend far beyond his lifetime.

Blakely, you were the first person I called when I needed direction on how to be an adult. You were the first person I called when it was time to buy a car, or I received my first offer letter as a nurse. As difficult as it is to know that you won’t be there to give me advice as I enter new endeavors, I will carry your words with me into new experiences and move forward. I will find answers in all the lessons you gave me. I can vividly hear your voice telling me, “You’re doing great kid.”

To quote your favorite song, “And I think to myself, what a wonderful world” What a wonderful world because of people like you."

Well Blakely I want you to know, “You did great Pop."