By Pat Szpekowski
Observer Correspondent
ST. CHARLES—When Pope Francis opened the Jubilee Year of Mercy nearly one year ago, his hope was to spur Catholics to be merciful to others. He called for the faithful to embrace and live the theological virtues of faith, hope and love by expressing them through the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.
As for the Corporal Works of Mercy, it would be a time to look for opportunities to perform simple acts of kindness to comfort the afflicted. They could take any number of forms including volunteering at a hospital or nursing home, donating and distributing food or clothing to those in need or even becoming a mentor to a teen.
But Steve and Diane Spurling of St. Charles were thrust into action far beyond the usual acts. Little did they know that an impromptu spring evening walk with the dog in their quiet neighborhood would result in a true life version of the parable of the “Good Samaritan” for them. Or that it would be filled with risks.
It was a Tuesday night in May and the Spurlings had just returned home the day before from Ottawa, where they attended the funeral of Steve’s father, who had died unexpectedly.
“We just wanted to relax and enjoy the beautiful evening outside,” Steve said.
The Spurlings, who are members of St. John Neumann Parish in St. Charles, have three children — Matt, a senior in high school and two daughters, Sarah and Samantha, who are attending college.
Steve works in investments and is the immediate past president of the board of education of the St. Charles School District 303, serving his last term on the board. Diane is a teacher’s aide in St. Charles.
Right from the start of their short stroll and just six houses down the block, they heard a big thump against a garage, coming from the inside.
“It certainly got our attention,” Steve said. “All of a sudden the garage door opened and a woman crawled from underneath. She started running to the end of the driveway and tripped hard with her head down on the ground. The woman was terrified and screaming ‘he’s going to kill me’.”
Things then escalated very quickly. As Diane grabbed the woman and started running away from the scene, the Spurling’s 150 pound dog, Moose, lunged forward and pulled them both away. Almost simultaneously, it was then at that moment when the woman’s husband came running from the house with a gun.
“I was trying to dial 911 on my cell phone and he started firing shots at the woman and my wife,” Spurling said. Without thinking, he sprang into action and tackled the man from behind, grabbed his handgun and threw it as far away as he could and held him until the police arrived.
Luckily, a teenager was driving by and saw what was happening and called 911 for help. “The police came quickly as they had also received my call,” Steve said, “but I never responded to them because of all that was happening.”
In total, the Spurlings noted that the whole event lasted maybe a minute and a half. When asked what were they thinking and how they now felt about the situation which had happened earlier this year, both Steve and Diane said that they primarily acted on instinct.
“Quite honestly, my gut said I had to help,” said Steve. “Once you hear shots, well, you’re involved. I thought of that man shooting in the direction of my wife. I had to do something and I really believe that with Moose pulling Diane and the woman, he saved both of them from being shot.”
Diane said she didn’t think twice about helping the woman. “That’s how we were raised; you help others in need,” she said. “I grabbed the woman to get her away and didn’t even know that there were shots being fired at us.”
The Spurlings said they had met the couple casually at some time but did not really know them.
Shortly after the incident, the news spread like wildfire. “News travels so fast now with social media,” said Steve. “My nephew was in Italy and he heard about it right away and our kids heard through texting. Everybody knew about it and were concerned.”
Soon after, all of the media was calling for interviews and the Spurlings declined. They were humbled by the entire event and just wanted it behind them. “We truly didn’t feel we did anything special,” added Steve.
Their brave acts, though, didn’t go without recognition. U.S. Representative Randy Hultgren honored the Spurlings this summer with the 14th District Citizen Hero Award. It recognizes exemplary constituents in the district who inspire others with their commendable actions. Congressman Hultgren’s remarks were delivered in a floor statement in Washington, D.C. on July 13.
“Steve serves our community by providing educational leadership, and both he and his wife acted courageously to save the life of their neighbor,” said Congressman Hultgren. He added that it was his pleasure to extend his heartfelt gratitude with the award.