He was full of wizardry and magic, pranks and practical jokes. He was the lead of the 80's band THE WALLETS, won numerous music awards; he was the sound effects guy for Prairie Home Companion and the familiar voice of ERIK, THE BIKE MAN. Mayor RT Rybak proclaimed January 27 'Steve Kramer Day' in honor of his artistic contributions to our city.
That was my brother. Although his life was led a bit in the limelight, his wizardry was really what he did when he came out from behind the curtain.
My brother saved hundreds of lives through mentoring and guiding lost souls through the steps to sobriety. He was available 24/7 to anyone who needed help. 3:00 AM and going to drink? Call Steve. He won't talk to you on the phone; he'll get in his car and talk to you in person. He saw the hunger in of us all to connect. He never gave up on anyone EVER and never spoke unkindly about a soul. He would just real quiet when people started to gossip about someone.
Steve was more than my brother– he was best friend, my mentor, spiritual counselor and personal stand-up comedian. He did an imitation of Carol Channing (yep, you read that right) and Dr. Phil that had me splitting a gut no matter how blue I felt. His number one objective was to make you laugh; feel great about being alive right NOW. It's as though he knew that the way to humanity's heart is through their stomach in the form of a good old belly laugh.
One day a few years back I sat on a stool in my brother's workshop and asked him "do you think there is a God?" He replied 'God is love. And I believe in Love'.
