Stephanie R. Bellis

I met Stephanie back in 2018 when we worked at Bed Bath & Beyond together. I instantly fell in love with Steph. She was spunky and sweet, and honestly she reminded me of myself when I was her age. We were at work one day and her mom's name is Mindy, and her mom was calling her and I saw the name on the caller ID. I asked who Mindy was and she told me it was her mom, and I said, "My mom's name is Mindy too! And my real name is also Stephanie!" I go by Stevie but my real name is Stephanie, for context. After that we just became very close over time, and she actually ended up being someone who helped pull me through one of the most difficult times of my life. She was there when I reached some pretty low lows, and she was there when I reached some important milestones as well, always loudly supporting and rooting for me either way. She was hands down one of the most selfless people I've ever met. She was always willing to go out of her way to help people, and very rarely complained about doing so. She was a giver and she was a caretaker. She was a lover. She'd always make an effort to tell me how far I've come and how proud she was of me. She'd always compliment me on how pretty she thought I looked, my makeup, my hair, how smart I was, how hard I worked, etc. She was always asking how I was doing, how my dad was doing, how my nonny was doing, how my cats were doing. She'd even ask how my other best friend was doing, whom she had only met once on my birthday in 2023. She wanted to know how the other people I cared about were doing because she genuinely loved me, and she genuinely cared. She was such a phenomenal friend and such an amazing person. Her kindness is unmatched, and it's people like her that help to make this world even just a little bit of a better place. This is such a tremendous loss, and I'm going to miss her so much. I'm going to miss her coming to my apartment, and stopping by my work. I'm going to miss when we'd go out to eat. We'd frequent places like Chili's and Laredo's, and we'd stop in at Monkeyshines for a drink and some French fries and other fried food. She always had to have a side of hot sauce, ranch, and blue cheese to dip everything in. I'm going to miss going to her house and watching (scary) movies and cooking pizza. I'm going to miss those lime green Crocs she was so proud of. I'm going to miss her Snap stories, no matter how infrequent they were. I'm going to miss her messages and her calls. I'm going to miss her voice, her laugh, her smile, and just the overall brightness and warmth she exuded. I am just going to miss everything about her. She was more than just my best friend, she was family. I am so beyond proud of her and everything that she accomplished. She had always told me it was her dream to work in the hospital. She worked so unbelievably hard, and she was able to accomplish that dream. There will forever be a piece of me missing and an ache in my heart. My condolences to Mindy and the rest of her family, and to everyone else that also loved her dearly and are suffering through the grief of this tragic loss. The world will certainly miss her beautiful energy. I know I will. 💛💔

Steph and I met at St. Mary’s when she worked with me and was the first friend I made as a new hire and my first friendship I made as an adult. She would always answer the phone for me by saying “what’s up love bug?” And would help me through anything I was going through… even if she didn’t always have the best advice she would just be there for me. I know that I could always depend on her whenever I needed her and if a boy ever hurt my feelings I forgot all about it after talking to her. We went Christmas shopping all the years I have known her and it was always something to look forward to. She introduced me to the music of Amy Winehouse, an artist I have listened to every day since she showed me. She had a pair of neon green crocs that she wore everyday to work I wonder how she didn’t get sick of them! She loved what she did and loved taking care of people. I will miss her joy and her laughter and all the gossip we had for each other. Although we won’t be able to see movies anymore or go out to eat I’ll always love you pookie ❤️- Love Sophia

Mindy, Brian and Alex, I'm so sorry for your loss. May all of your memories sustain you during this difficult time.

My sweet Stephanie!! You will be dearly missed. I am thinking of you and your family and sending hugs! I met you at Meriter hospital and boy did you have energy and spunk. We became instant friends and hung out a lot making pizza, watching movies and relaxing. We were there for each other through the good and rough times. I will miss you friend 💜😻

It's not often that I feel mad, but hearing of your passing fills me with profound sadness. Thank you, Steph, for all the joyous laughs and the wonderful adventures we shared. One of my favorite memories of you, Meg, and I was when we went to see the Christmas lights in Milwaukee. I’ll always cherish our fun times together, the late-night pool escapade and, of course, that unforgettable moment when we missed the exit on our way to the hotel! 😄 🤣 😂 Thank you for the countless fun memories, the silly laughter, and for being so kind to my little Ian. I am incredibly proud of you and everything you accomplished. Sending you a big hug, sweet Girl! I will cherish all of our fun memories from 9T and beyond. Love ya always! -Me ❤️