Andy Krivy was just finishing a job interview with Micron Technology Inc. in 1988 when Krivy asked Steve Appleton a question.
“Steve, there are a lot of semiconductor companies hiring. Why should I come here and work at Micron?”
Appleton’s answer was quick. “Andy,” he said, “because memory is just like money. It doesn’t matter how much people have, they are always going to want more.”
Appleton turned out to be right, said Krivy, who worked for Appleton for 21 years.
“He was a great leader,” said Krivy. “We are all fortunate to have known and worked with him.”
Krivy was among 3,000 people who came to Thursday’s memorial service at Taco Bell Arena honoring Appleton, who died in the crash of his Lancair, a kit-built airplane, at the Boise Airport on Feb. 3.
Among those attending were former Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, Idaho Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch and Boise Mayor Dave Bieter.
The memorial was the public’s chance to say goodbye to a man whose image as a ferocious competitor was fused with his company’s image as a survivor in the volatile world of computer memory chips.
More than half the people who came were from the company Appleton led for 18 years. Some have spent much of their working life there. Others were recent employees.
“I met him several times,” said Alison Hilyard of Eagle, an executive assistant in sales for just more than a year. “He was a wonderful man — from the moment he shook my hand and said ‘Hi, I don’t know you. Tell me your name. Welcome to Micron.’ ”
Gary Funkhouser, a Micron employee for about 25 years, admired the care Appleton took with employees, even as the company was laying off workers as it scaled back production in the midst of a global glut of chips in the last decade.
“I always respected that he would take a pay cut first,” Funkhouser said. “There were years he took no pay. That got a lot of respect from the people below.”
What Micron employees said was echoed during the service as friends, business associates, educators and political leaders spoke from the podium about a man committed to caring and to excellence.
Appleton often gave gifts and donations to the impoverished areas around Baja California in Mexico where his Bad Apple Racing team sought the thrills of desert racing.
“He was a leader, an innovator, a philanthropist,” said Sal Fish, the CEO and president of SCORE International, a leading sanctioning body in the sport of desert racing.
But he was ever the competitor.
Mark Durcan, the CEO who replaced Appleton, told the story of Jay Hawkins, another Micron executive, getting to the office early one morning and leaving a note on Appleton’s door, asking him to get in touch when he got in. The note’s time: 6:05 a.m.
About five minutes later, Appleton was in Hawkins’ office. He held up the note: “What does this mean ‘When you get in?’’’
The next morning, when Hawkins arrived at work he found a note on his door from Appleton. The time: 5:50 a.m. Appleton had beat him by 10 minutes.
Hawkins was sure he would win in the end. The next day he had a 4:30 a.m. call to Singapore. But when he got to his office, Appleton was already there “rolling in laughter,” Durcan said. Appleton told Hawkins, “It’s about time you got in.”
Greg Patton, Boise State tennis coach, knew Appleton as a tennis fan and BSU supporter. “Steve did not fly. He soared through life,” said Patton. “He seized the moment.”
As the service ended, Boise State’s carillon played “Amazing Grace” and the Boise State song. A missing man formation of private planes zoomed over Taco Bell Arena in honor of Appleton’s life as a pilot.
Among those who came to the services was Derrick Lee, who works at Micron with his wife. The couple brought their three children, ages 3 through 5 “to honor Steve,” Lee said.
“I think he’ll be here watching. I hope we give him a good send-off.”
Bill Roberts: 377-6408
