As a young child, Steven Cordova was known to his family as “Pooka Bear.” He captured the hearts of everyone who laid eyes on him with his infectious smile, mysterious dimple and goodhearted nature. From day one, he became his big brother’s best friend and companion; they were nearly inseparable.

In high school, Steven was a star athlete and had a passion for football. By his senior year, he had received more than 60 letters of interest from colleges all over the country. And although he was a force to be reckoned with on the field, he never failed to offer his hand to help up the quarterback he had just sacked. Steven was six-feet, three-inches tall and over 250 pounds. His teammates nicknamed him “Baby Huey” for his gentle giant ways. It was a name he wore proudly on his varsity letterman jacket.

As an adult, Steven was admired for his kind and respectful ways. He had a great love for children and when he became a father, his baby girl, Alexia Rea, was the center of his life. He adored her and she him, and they became inseparable.

On Sept. 22, 2007, Steven, 26, along with two others, was tragically shot. Steven did not survive his injuries. At the time, Steven’s mother, Frances, was the Director of the California branch of Community Tissue Services. “It was very common for me to receive calls at all hours. In most cases, the calls involved staff needing my assistance in the screening of a potential tissue donor. But this call I was totally unprepared for,” said Frances.

She noted that “My sons had grown up in the world of organ and tissue donation for most of their young lives. We, like so many others, had ‘the donation talk’ years earlier and they both were registered donors. The day that Steven’s young life ended, he donated his bone, skin and veins. Many of his friends were in awe when they learned that Steven was a donor, but none was surprised. Steven inspired many of his friends to also be donors.”

More than 1,200 people attended Steven’s funeral services. “That morning, as we were leaving the church, one of the church staff members asked my older son, Robert, if Steven was a celebrity or a star. She said she had never seen so many people attend a funeral service before,” recalled Frances. “I had foolishly thought that I had known everything about Steven, but that day, I learned so much more from strangers who shared stories of how my son had helped them in some small way that changed their lives. Steven had a knack for touching the lives of everyone that he met. Through his generosity as a tissue donor, he continues to touch the lives of all the people who receive his gifts.”

Steven’s second daughter, Stevie Drew, was born on Dec. 18, 2007. Frances summed up: “As his legacy, Steven left us Alexia and Stevie, along with many wonderful memories. He is forever in our hearts.”