Stephanie was more than a colleague. She was my sister.

Our offices sat side by side, and over the years, hers stopped being just the office next door. We were in each other's offices often. Morning tea. Afternoon round-ups. And, our walk to the parking deck at the end of the day. We never rushed it. She had a goodnight for everyone.

Our friendship lived outside the office, too.

I cannot write about her in the past tense. Everything in me resists it.

I have never known anyone who made herself as available as Stephanie did. Her door was always open, literally and in every other way. No matter how full her plate or how heavy her own load, she made room. For colleagues, for friends, for strangers. She remembered the small things. She showed up. She made people feel seen.

And of course, the community organizations. The underserved and the overlooked. That was where she put her time, her whole life. Quietly, constantly, with no need for credit. That was who she was.

To Brandon, Steven, and Aaron, you were her proudest subject, her favorite story, the light she carried into every room. "The fellas." Her love for the three of you was one of the truest things I have ever known. I am here, in every way she would have wanted me to be.

My friend, my sister. Thank you for all that you were.

Stephanie was an amazing person and beloved by everyone who knew her. I was lucky enough to work with her on multiple projects including Invesco Cares and the Invesco Women’s Network. Basically, if there were an initiative that could make people’s lives better, Stephanie was involved. I still remember her poised, confident speech at the fifth anniversary of our Atlanta Women’s Network chapter. She held the complete attention of everyone in that room with her calm delivery and quiet authority. 

As many have noted, she was the first to congratulate you on a job well done, and she never missed sending a thoughtful note on birthdays and work anniversaries. 

She also had a great sense of humor and could see people so clearly. Whenever I needed perspective, I would stop by to see if she had a moment to talk. She adored her family and was so proud of her boys. She lit up when she talked about them.  

I feel incredibly grateful to have known her - she truly was the GOAT. May her memory forever be a blessing. 

Words cannot express the relationship I’ve had with Sister Stephanie over the years. I am deeply saddened by her loss. What sister Stephanie meant to my family cannot be placed into words. She watched over us while my father was away and gave us structure and support. She gave my mother a safe place that she could commune and grow. She built a community for my older sister Jayda. She pushed my other sister Kai in ways only she could. And she fostered natured and supported my brothers talents. I could go on and on about the impact she has had on my life. From talks about School, from Sunday school lessons, to learning about financial lessons. Sister Stephanie has been a key contributor to everything I’ve done in my life so far. I am eternally grateful for gift of Sister Stephanie’s life and ministry. She was a servant at heart. A shining example of how you should push yourself to grow. 

Thank you Brandon, Aaron and Stephen for sharing your mother with us. Our lives will be forever altered because she came into it.