A booth is closed off at the Burger King on the corner of Geddes and West Genesee. Above it hangs a simple message, “We will miss you Steve Rest In Peace.” A memorial created by the employees slows the busy pace of this fast food restaurant as they remember a customer who had been coming to the restaurant for over 10 years, Steve Mercarter. The memorial is located at Steve’s favorite booth, reserving the spot for him one last time after the 49 year old died suddenly on September 24th.
“He was a kind soul,” said Burger King manager Sue Spencer.
“Yep, lost,” said employee Tami Clark
“Never asked for nothing, never,” said employee Crystal Turo
Steve wasn’t mentioned in an obituary but his passing was felt by entire kitchen of employees. The staff did more than just service him his regular order for the past 10 years, they made sure he was well dressed during the winters. To them he was more than just a customer he was their friend.
“His shoes were always big, he wore shorts in the winter, we did everything we could to try to guide him through life,” said Clark.
In late September Steve stopped showing up to his favorite fast food joint, and staff started to get worried. Syracuse police department then found him at the railroad tracks behind Destiny USA Mall where he was hit by an oncoming train and died. When the news got around that Steve passed, the red chain went up in front of his booth and the memorial started to fill with objects that reminded the community of Steve. However, to the friends of Steve at the Burger King, the most important things are not what lies on the table but rather the memories he left behind
“He (Steve) always smiled,” said Turo.
“And what’d he say, ‘thank guy’,” said Spencer.
‘Thanks guy,’ he always called me guy,” said Clark.
In Adams Center New York lives someone who knows Steve not as a customer but as a brother, Steves’ older sister Nancy Intorica.
“My brother steve, well he was a joly guy when he was a kid,” said Intorcia.
Nancy and Steve were split up when they were kids, and even though they didn’t spend much time together, Nancy remembers the person her younger brother was.
“He was a selfless guy, he’d give anything to anybody, except his older sister,” said Intorcia.
Sunlight spilled through the windows like it did every morning, except this time it didn’t land across Steves face. Instead it highlighted the loving community Stever Mercarter left behind.
