THE MAN WHO RAN SOME VERY
POPULAR PLACES TO GET GAS LOST
HIS BATTLE WITH CANCER THIS
MONTH.
STEVE WILLIAMS WAS ONE OF THE
PARTNERS WHO OWNED BOBBY AND
STEVE'S AUTO WORLD.
MAINLY JUST TO SPEND HIS
DAYS IMMERSED IN THE BUSINESS.
HE POURED A LOT OF ENERGY INTO
IT.
STEVE JOINED HIS FATHER
BOBBY IN THE FAMILY BUSINESS OF
OPERATING SERVICE STATIONS IN
THE LATE 1990s.
OVER THE YEARS THEY DEVELOPED A
REPUTATION FOR EXCEEDING
EXPECTATIONS OF THEIR
CUSTOMERS.
THIS WEEK'S LIFE STORY, ANGELA
DAVIS SHOWS US HOW STEVE'S
FAMILY AND COLLEAGUES REMEMBER
HIM.
Reporter: AT BOBBY AND
STEVE'S AUTO WORLD, IN
MINNEAPOLIS, WORKERS TAKE PRIDE
IN OFFERING GAS WITH CLASS.
THAT THE COMPANY MOTTO.
STEVE WILLIAMS WAS ONE OF THE
GUYS WHO MADE SURE IT HAPPENED.
ENVIRONMENT THAT IS CLASSY
AND THEY OFFERED A LOT MORE OF A
-- MORE THAN JUST GAS.
Reporter: STEVE STARTED
WORKING FOR HIS FATHER WHEN HE
WAS 12.
HELPING TO PUMP GAS AND WASH
WINDOWS.
AS AN ADULT, THEIR BUSINESS
PARTNERSHIP LED TO SEVERAL MORE
LOCATIONS.
AND AT HOME, STEVE BECAME A
PROUD FATHER HIMSELF.
VACATIONING WITH HIS THREE KIDS
AND HIS WIFE AS OFTEN AS HE
COULD.
HOW GREAT OF A DAD HE WAS.
AND NOT ONLY TO ME BUT TO MY
FRIENDS.
HE WAS A PHENOMENAL SECOND
FATHER FIGURE TO SOME OF MY
CLOSE FRIENDS.
ARE SAYING WAS LOVE YOU LIKE
YOU, SEE YOU TOMORROW AND GOOD
NIGHT.
AND SO DEFINITELY LOVING.
Reporter: IN HIS MID-40s,
STEVE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH
MULTIPLE MYELOMA.
A BLOOD CANCER.
DOCTORS WHO SAID WOULD LIKELY
LIVE FOUR MORE YEARS.
HE FOUGHT THE DISEASE FOR 11
AND A HALF.
THIS YEAR ALONE HE SPENT 71
DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL AND IT
NEVER PHASED HIM.
HE WAS CONSTANTLY OPTIMISTIC
AND HOPEFUL.
Reporter: STEVE'S ILLNESS
TURNED INTO A LESSON FOR HIS
DAUGHTERS AND SON.
IT WAS DON'T COLLECT THINGS
ANYMORE.
COLLECT MEMORIES.
THAT WAS BIG LESSON THAT HE
TAUGHT US I THINK.
Reporter: ON THE DAY OF HIS
FUNERAL, THE FAMILY WITNESSED
SOMETHING AMAZING.
A PROCESSION OF NEARLY 100 TOW
TRUCKS DRIVEN BY PEOPLE WHO HAD
WORKED FOR STEVE OR WERE
COMPETING COMPANIES.
I THINK OF HIM AS OPPOSITE
OF THE GRINCH WHO STOLE
CHRISTMAS.
THE GRINCH'S HEART WAS TWO
SIZES TOO SMALL?
STEVE'S HEART WAS TWO SIZES TOO
LARGE.
Reporter: ANGELA DAVIS, WCCO
4 NEWS.
STEVE WILLIAMS WAS 58 WHEN
HE DIED ON JULY 6. RESEARCH
SHOWS WORKERS IN THE PETROLEUM
INDUSTRY ARE AT A HIGHER RISK
FOR THE TYPE OF CANCER HE HAD.
