Crash victim saves lives as organ donor

Libertyville resident Stephen C. Amer's reputation for kindness is continuing after his death.

Amer, who died Wednesday following a traffic accident, had signed up to be an organ donor -- and as such his heart, kidneys, liver and pancreas have been given to needy recipients in the Chicago area, said his mother, Fran Amer.

Amer's parents didn't know until he died that he wanted to donate his organs, but they weren't surprised.

"We always knew Steve was a generous person," she said.

Amer, 36, was fatally injured Tuesday night when his motorcycle collided with a car near Libertyville. He died early the next day at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.

Two other cars were involved in the crash. No tickets were issued after the crash, which remained under investigation.

Born in Cleveland and raised in Ohio, Amer earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1993. He moved to the Chicago area after college and later received a master's degree in business administration from the University of Chicago.

For the last five years he'd worked at MacLean-Fogg Co. in Mundelein. Most recently he'd served as vice president and chief financial officer for MacLean Vehicle Systems.

"He loved the challenge, and he really liked and respected the people he worked with and for," Fran Amer said.

In his free time he enjoyed golf and poker. His play increased as the poker craze took off.

"Stephen's always been a game player, and he liked the competitiveness of it," his mom said. "And he liked the friends he made playing poker."

Amer loved going to Las Vegas. He last went in April with his father, John; they stayed at the posh Bellagio and played poker together.

John Amer described his son as honest and fun-loving.

"People liked being with Steve, and he liked being with people," he said.

In addition to his parents, Amer's survivors include a sister, Kathleen Hackwelder, and a brother, Michael.

Prayers for Amer will begin at 10 a.m. June 24, at Higgins-Reardon Funeral Home in Canfield, Ohio. A funeral Mass is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. that day at St. Michael's Church in Canfield.

Interment will follow in Calvary Cemetery in Youngstown, Ohio.

Instead of flowers, memorials may be made to Friends of the Orphans, 85 W. Algonquin Road, Suite 395, Arlington Heights, IL, 60005.