More About Steve

STEVE STONE POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED

IFBB PRO LEAGUE’S HIGHEST HONOUR

Steve Stone, NPC/IFBB Pro League Chief Expediter, suddenly passed away during the 2008 Olympia Weekend. Steve, 51, was a New York NPC Vice Chairman, working with Steve Weinberger. Steve was a contest promoter and competitive bodybuilder who won the light-heavyweght category at the 1990 North American Championships. Steve was best known as the Chief Expediter at NPC national events and the Olympia. Steve was a good friend and colleague to many in the NPC and IFBB Pro League; he was well respected, admired and loved by all, particularly by the athletes and competitors he so graciously served.

The IFBB Pro League is honoured to present its highest award, the ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL, posthumously to Steve Stone. Steve’s wife, Andrea, who is an NPC/IFBB Pro League official and statistician, accepted the award at the finals of the 2008 Mr. Olympia. Accompanying Andrea onstage were longtime friends and colleagues Jim Manion, Chairman of the IFBB Pro League, Steve Weinberger, New York NPC Chairman, and Master of Ceremonies and IFBB Pro Athlete Rep Bob Cicherillo.

OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO STEVE’S FAMILY AND LOVED ONES.

Olympia Head Expediter Steve Stone Dies Suddenly

By - Dr. David Ryan

The bodybuilding and figure world lost one of its greatest assets on the 26th of September, 2008. The head expediter for the IFBB/NPC, Steve Stone died suddenly prior to the finals for the Olympia. Most people do not know who Steve was, but if you ever competed at the national or pro levels, you knew who made the shows run as smoothly as they did. The entire process of what Steve did was simply amazing. It is a marriage of the show directors and the athletes and no one brought them together like he did. For many years he worked to make the entire show process run smoother and better for the athlete.

His work would start around 4 A.M. to set the stage and that was on the tail of making sure the scripts for the show where laid out properly. Organization was his strongest tool and everyone around shows knew that. We had met about ten years ago and both spoke of our efforts to make the shows run smoother and become safer for all of the competitors. Steve took it directly to heart and worked with a passion that is going to be hard to match. Often with his wonderful wife Andrea by his side, who ran the stats for the shows. He also had Kim Klien (IFBB Pro) by his side helping to orchestrate the many national events.

Most women who competed found Steve as a kind, direct and very respectful person. Most men found him to be simple, organized and "on time". I have been in the fitness world for over thirty years and was proud to call Steve Stone my friend. I think the sport is going to have to look long and hard to find someone who can run the shows with the kindness and honorable intent that Steve brought to our sport. He was one of the first people who would really listen and take action to make the competitor feel more at home backstage and on stage.
My prayers are with Andrea and his family.

STEVE'S CONTEST HISTORY

1992 USA Bodybuilding & Figure Championships
Men: Light Heavyweight (Place: 12)

1991 USA Bodybuilding & Figure Championships
Men: Light Heavyweight (Place: 6)

1990 North American Championships
Men: Light Heavyweight (Place: 1)

1989 North American Championships
Men: Light Heavyweight (Place: 3)

1989 Junior USA
Men: Light Heavyweight (Place: 2)

My heart sends yours a BIG hug!

To add a quip of the kindness of person and type of friend Steve is...

Even my fish (Kujo) will miss him, he & Angus drove from New City NY to Newark NJ (an hour away, if you hit no traffic) with a 200 gallon fish tank (beyond heavy), tied in the Honda, so my fish could have more room.... Yvonne

Shawn Ray - IFBB Bodybuilder

I have known Steve since I turned Pro back in 1987, which qualifies me as a "Friend" in more ways than one. From what I know, Steve was genuine, athletic, caring, giving, insightful, appreciative, educated, thoughtful, and many more things I love in people who are "REAL" as I know them to be. That said, my condolences to the family and with respect as a former Professional Bodybuilder and representative of the sport, I'd simply like to remind everyone from Fans, Friends to Family that while we all have our own definition of what a "Friend" is I would be remiss if I didn't remind everyone that I know people and have relationships with people I have come to know over 25 years that I respect and admire that my family, brother, sister, wife and Best Friends have never met.

This industry is Global and alot of friendships forged over time were made on the road, backstage at shows, in the gyms, at contests, etc. Therefore, it stands to reason that while there are certain people worldwide that seem to know "ME" dont necessarily have to have been to my home nor met my family in order to have a "Personal" Friendship with me. I point this out so as to Clear the Air.

While there seems to be a few Open Wounds regarding the untimely passing of one of our own, I too have never met Steve's Brother, nor would I recall him if I had ever met him because Steve was a friend of MINE, I was not a friend of his brother. No one in my family ever met Steve and wouldn't know him if painted a picture of him but he was MY Friend.

Steve is in Heaven now, a place we all desire to be when we are called home.

Please guys, in this time of mourning, let's be grateful for ANYONE, that takes a moment to think of Steve and appreciate that through him, we are still talking about him. Steve impacted and impressed many because of the person he was. Let's not get into pissing matches over symantics, as Steve left this place doing what he loved doing, on the biggest weekend he helped create!

That said, respect and condolences to all those who knew Steve or that Steve knew. May God continue to wrap his Grace & Love around him and His. As Steve's work was complete on Earth and we know God doesn't make mistakes, through Steve's life and death there will be lessons like this one, we learn the hard way.

Peace.

Steve Wennerstrom - I was at the Olympia weekend from start to finish the past several days and only just now have I been able to verbalize this most unfortunate passing. For most of the days spent in Las Vegas after hearing of Steve's death I wandered around in a stupor totally unable to clear my mind of what had just happened. The suddenness of it all. Steve Stone was many things to many people, but he was one of the most sincere individuals we have (sorry, had) in this business. You talk about passion and a desire for perfection in everything he did?.......That was the persona of Steve Stone. Over the many years I knew Steve, we spoke endlessly about the philosophies in the sport as they pertain to the women, and we agreed on virtually everything. He had a huge heart. He cared.................about everything. He joked about how anal he was concerning the preparations for a contest and how he wanted the competitors to feel comfortable at a contest so that it would be an enjoyable experience. Steve was a fine competitor himself and I'm sure that will be mentioned over the next few days. But that all pales in comparison to what he contributed after he no longer felt the need to compete. I'm still feeling a massive state of denial with his passing. It just doesn't seem possible. I know one thing; NONE of us have even begun to feel the loss his passing will bring. And 'Backstage'......Steve's domain will never be quite the same. Next year at some contest, I will quietly place a star on stage - somewhere - as he had done for so many competitors over the past many years. Those stars onstage let competitors know where they stood at a contest. Now we can let him know there will always be one for him as well. Goodbye old friend.