Steven Thomas Blom
Cranston, R.I.
Beverly Milhomme yesterday recalled her neighbor Steven Thomas Blom playing with her puppy by a huge snowbank just after the Presidents' Day snowstorm. But the thing she remembers most about Blom is what a great dad he was to his son Steven Jr.
"He was one of the best fathers I've ever seen," Milhomme said. "He did everything with him. He was his first priority."
Milhomme said Blom, 40, a house painter, lived in his Parkway Avenue home with his son and, as a single dad, always made sure to be home on time to meet the boy right after school.
Blom's passion for motorcycles led him to befriend Milhomme's husband, Tim, who is also a motorcycle enthusiast.
"They helped each other rebuild engines," Milhomme said.
When Blom wasn't riding dirt bikes with his son, he often was participating in charity motorcycle rides to raise money for things such as cystic fibrosis, Milhomme said.
"It's hard because I walk to my dining room window and I look outside and his car is still there. You'd see him every day," Milhomme said.
She said she did not know why Blom went to The Station nightclub in West Warwick last Thursday, where he died in a fire that killed 97 people.
"It's hard." Milhomme said. "Why was he there? He didn't go out that much. He spent most of his time with his son."
KATHELEEN CONTI
