EULOGY
STEVE KOERING
July 19, 2015 Temple Israel
I am Steve Koering the Fire Chief for the City of St Louis Park and I bring the condolences and prayers from a City that Elliot was incredibly fond of and likewise for the City, so much in fact that there was an effort underway to recognize Elliot as Citizen of the Year. So today we celebrate the life a man, who arguably had become an icon within the community of St Louis Park.
I first met Elliot at afternoon Rotary when I sat at his table. I found him to be an extremely engaging and very interesting man. He asked about me and wanted to hear my thoughts and he didn’t seem driven to tell me about him. Before we parted that day he gave me his rope puzzle with a challenge to try and figure it out. Give me a call when you solve it he said. I am not how he knew that these types of puzzles have always been one of my great pastimes and over the next week I set it on my desk, and whenever I had a moment I would focus on it and think of him. I solved it, and when I called him to tell him, he said I knew you could and now I would like to meet with you and give you another problem to solve. He said I teach people how to fall down and I would like to share with you how, and see if you might find it useful. My first thoughts were why are we teaching people how to fall down, instead why don’t we teach them to stand up or correct the reasons we fall.
The truth is that Elliot understood the realities of life and knew that no matter what, you needed to be prepared and to develop a mindset of survival. A trait he truly exhibited throughout his long storied life while facing many of the challenges he did.
I described Elliot to his family as persistent. They shared with me how Elliot had placed the words of a quote on the wall of the family home defining persistence. Just another example of how he lived his words. Webster defines the word as firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition. This type thinking is what fueled him throughout his life and gave him the energy to make a difference.
There are very few 96 year old humans with the desire, energy and concern for others as that of Elliot Royce. Elliot considered his family an important part of his life including his grandchildren. His legacy to them can be summed up by what Albert Einstein said about family “You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else. Elliot understood the importance of that.
To the family I want you to understand that Elliot will be greatly missed by me, the City of St Louis Park, and all of the many he made a difference for. All of us hope to leave a legacy that reflects what we believe, and why we exist and Elliot has done it. Take the time to reflect on all of the ways you can be better at what you do, have passion and persistence around your dreams, and build lasting friendships. Those acts will honor the memory of Elliot Royce.
Finally there is a Quaker Prayer that goes “There is a destiny that makes us brothers, none goes his way alone. All that we give to the lives of others will someday come back into our own.”
Well done Elliott, rest in peace. We will take it from here.
Steve Koering
Fire Chief-St Louis Park
STEVE KOERING
July 19, 2015 Temple Israel
I am Steve Koering the Fire Chief for the City of St Louis Park and I bring the condolences and prayers from a City that Elliot was incredibly fond of and likewise for the City, so much in fact that there was an effort underway to recognize Elliot as Citizen of the Year. So today we celebrate the life a man, who arguably had become an icon within the community of St Louis Park.
I first met Elliot at afternoon Rotary when I sat at his table. I found him to be an extremely engaging and very interesting man. He asked about me and wanted to hear my thoughts and he didn’t seem driven to tell me about him. Before we parted that day he gave me his rope puzzle with a challenge to try and figure it out. Give me a call when you solve it he said. I am not how he knew that these types of puzzles have always been one of my great pastimes and over the next week I set it on my desk, and whenever I had a moment I would focus on it and think of him. I solved it, and when I called him to tell him, he said I knew you could and now I would like to meet with you and give you another problem to solve. He said I teach people how to fall down and I would like to share with you how, and see if you might find it useful. My first thoughts were why are we teaching people how to fall down, instead why don’t we teach them to stand up or correct the reasons we fall.
The truth is that Elliot understood the realities of life and knew that no matter what, you needed to be prepared and to develop a mindset of survival. A trait he truly exhibited throughout his long storied life while facing many of the challenges he did.
I described Elliot to his family as persistent. They shared with me how Elliot had placed the words of a quote on the wall of the family home defining persistence. Just another example of how he lived his words. Webster defines the word as firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition. This type thinking is what fueled him throughout his life and gave him the energy to make a difference.
There are very few 96 year old humans with the desire, energy and concern for others as that of Elliot Royce. Elliot considered his family an important part of his life including his grandchildren. His legacy to them can be summed up by what Albert Einstein said about family “You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else. Elliot understood the importance of that.
To the family I want you to understand that Elliot will be greatly missed by me, the City of St Louis Park, and all of the many he made a difference for. All of us hope to leave a legacy that reflects what we believe, and why we exist and Elliot has done it. Take the time to reflect on all of the ways you can be better at what you do, have passion and persistence around your dreams, and build lasting friendships. Those acts will honor the memory of Elliot Royce.
Finally there is a Quaker Prayer that goes “There is a destiny that makes us brothers, none goes his way alone. All that we give to the lives of others will someday come back into our own.”
Well done Elliott, rest in peace. We will take it from here.
Steve Koering
Fire Chief-St Louis Park
Column (St. Louis Park Sun Sailor) September 12, 2015
St. Louis Park Fire Department hopes to instill resiliency in residents
http://sailor.mnsun.com/2015/09/12/column-st-louis-park-fire-department-hopes-to-instill-resiliency-in-residents/
By Guest Columnist Steve Koering
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines resilience as “the ability to become strong, healthy or successful again after something bad happens.”
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency 2014-2018 Strategic Plan, in emergency management, resilience is used to describe the capacity of people, organizations or systems to adapt to changing conditions and withstand and rapidly recover from disruption due to emergencies.
Resilience is not only a responsibility of government but also a personal responsibility for each of us to consider.
I was reminded of how each of us can take a personal ownership for resiliency when reflecting on the life of Elliott Royce, a longtime St. Louis Park resident who recently passed away.
Elliott was an innovator and a purveyor of resilient thinking in his crusade to teach older people to withstand and recover from falls. I always joked with Elliott that instead of teaching people to fall, we should teach them to stand; however, he knew that inevitably each of us will be confronted with a challenge and the more we prepare the more likely we are to recover.
As a society we sometimes prefer to remain hopeful that a disaster will never affect us, our family or our community. In an article in the summer 2015 edition of “Emergency Management,” author Adam Stone said, “It is lack of knowledge that fuels indifference.”
Preparation and planning are critical components for resiliency, yet indifference remains a barrier to practicing those key behaviors. Insurer Allstate reports that about 40 percent of Americans have thought about evacuation plans in the event of an emergency, yet only 8 percent have ever practiced an escape plan.
Thirty percent of people say they would wait until the last minute to leave or to react, increasing the likelihood of becoming a victim of whatever emergency occurs.
I believe that education and awareness are the keys to changing the behavior of indifference that’s become part of our culture. The St. Louis Park Fire Department is in the midst of a months-long campaign to promote and to build resilience among residents and the community, and we want you to be part of the conversation.
Want to get started on your own resiliency plan? National Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 4-10, and this year’s focus is on smoke alarms. Visit nfpa.org to learn your smoke alarm IQ and to understand better the importance of locations when it comes to installing and maintaining smoke alarms in your home.
Be on the lookout for more information and activities on the topic of resilience, and please contact the fire department at 952-924-2596 if you are interested in learning more.
Like Elliott, we want to teach you how to fall so you can get back up again and move on after the unexpected.
Steve Koering is the St. Louis Park fire chief. He wrote this for a public safety column the city plans to submit monthly.
St. Louis Park Fire Department hopes to instill resiliency in residents
http://sailor.mnsun.com/2015/09/12/column-st-louis-park-fire-department-hopes-to-instill-resiliency-in-residents/
By Guest Columnist Steve Koering
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines resilience as “the ability to become strong, healthy or successful again after something bad happens.”
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency 2014-2018 Strategic Plan, in emergency management, resilience is used to describe the capacity of people, organizations or systems to adapt to changing conditions and withstand and rapidly recover from disruption due to emergencies.
Resilience is not only a responsibility of government but also a personal responsibility for each of us to consider.
I was reminded of how each of us can take a personal ownership for resiliency when reflecting on the life of Elliott Royce, a longtime St. Louis Park resident who recently passed away.
Elliott was an innovator and a purveyor of resilient thinking in his crusade to teach older people to withstand and recover from falls. I always joked with Elliott that instead of teaching people to fall, we should teach them to stand; however, he knew that inevitably each of us will be confronted with a challenge and the more we prepare the more likely we are to recover.
As a society we sometimes prefer to remain hopeful that a disaster will never affect us, our family or our community. In an article in the summer 2015 edition of “Emergency Management,” author Adam Stone said, “It is lack of knowledge that fuels indifference.”
Preparation and planning are critical components for resiliency, yet indifference remains a barrier to practicing those key behaviors. Insurer Allstate reports that about 40 percent of Americans have thought about evacuation plans in the event of an emergency, yet only 8 percent have ever practiced an escape plan.
Thirty percent of people say they would wait until the last minute to leave or to react, increasing the likelihood of becoming a victim of whatever emergency occurs.
I believe that education and awareness are the keys to changing the behavior of indifference that’s become part of our culture. The St. Louis Park Fire Department is in the midst of a months-long campaign to promote and to build resilience among residents and the community, and we want you to be part of the conversation.
Want to get started on your own resiliency plan? National Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 4-10, and this year’s focus is on smoke alarms. Visit nfpa.org to learn your smoke alarm IQ and to understand better the importance of locations when it comes to installing and maintaining smoke alarms in your home.
Be on the lookout for more information and activities on the topic of resilience, and please contact the fire department at 952-924-2596 if you are interested in learning more.
Like Elliott, we want to teach you how to fall so you can get back up again and move on after the unexpected.
Steve Koering is the St. Louis Park fire chief. He wrote this for a public safety column the city plans to submit monthly.