Steven L. Pelletier

NASHUA, NH BARTLETT, NH and HOMER, AK – The family of Steven (58) is very sad to confirm that he has passed on suddenly on the beautiful land he owned in Alaska. Known by many as Uncle Steve, Stevie and Papa he was a true friend, confidant, mountain man, instigator of pranks and grand adventurer. Steve was an inspiration and wonder to many people. His presence was huge, he was full of enthusiasm and had a passion for chasing BIG IDEAS. His strong spirit was infectious and had a way of inspiring others. While he has left us far too soon, we will never forget his constant encouragement to think bigger, take risks and to focus on our dreams.

As a native of Nashua, NH he attended local schools, was an Eagle Scout, and attended Unity College of ME and Plymouth State College in NH. Steve was a successful entrepreneur, who started several small businesses including Critter Control in southern NH, Andes Mountain Sports and Glen Laundry in the North Conway NH area and most recently Steve Pelletier Excavating in Homer, AK. He thought about life at length and decided to live an uncomplicated deliberate lifestyle.

Steve approached people and the world with generosity, curiosity and embodied joie de vivre. He was always available to help when needed and quietly maintained support for as long as necessary. An unassuming and private person, he would flare up into an extrovert for grand adventures and celebrations. Steven has climbed on 3 continents, harvested countless deer, caribou, moose, waterfowl, untold volumes of salmon and halibut. He was most at peace when on hunting and fishing adventures in the grand outdoors, beaming in pictures with his trophies. Always the consummate outdoorsman, Steve eagerly camped out at -20 F for fun, traveled to Tierra del Fuego just to check it out, solo camped at Gates of the Arctic National Park to experience grizzlies. He organized large western tours for extreme skiing and had many hunts in remote Alaska. Never one for long winded fables, he was skilled with short anecdotes – “I was hunting across the bay (from Homer), entering a thicket, and I heard a close deep and low growl from a bear; I decided I didn’t need to check it out and backed away.”

In our sadness, we hold onto so many colorful memories of Steve from his almost unbelievable adventures. The stories he told always made you wish you could have been there alongside him. The tales of self-rescue while outdoors on trips in northern Canada, Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina and in Alaska were captivating.

His numerous successful construction projects displayed Steve’s eye for good proportions and solid buildings. This is evident in his work which graces the homes of friends and family across America. Steve developed a feel and cultivated an expertise in creating sitescapes with heavy equipment that complemented his construction skills. He thoroughly enjoyed building roads, ponds and grand stone structures that would elevate the feel of a home site.

He ferried heavy equipment on barges across Kachemak Bay in Homer to remote locations and camped in a tent for the duration of his work. The last project he was working on was clearing land for his dream homestead in Homer, AK. There, he was opening a spectacular view of Kachemak Bay, including numerous glaciers and a full horizon of snow-capped mountains. He would frequently share pictures and videos of moose walking through his camp or job site. His heartfelt comment on a recent video sums up his thoughts succinctly, “… I love this place.”

He often repeated the quote – “… a rising tide floats all boats…” In this spirit, he helped many friends get their own boats or become competent, and then excel at their dream. The extent that Steve has been paying it forward his entire life with his time, encouragement and support is coming to light. We should all feel fortunate that we were able to spend what time we had with him as he will not be replaced, and the loss is immeasurable.

Steve is survived by his parents Bob and Lorraine Pelletier of Nashua, NH and his siblings: Gary Pelletier (Robin) of Bedford, NH; Gail Levesque (Gilles) of Nashua, NH and Michael Pelletier (Wendy) of Essex, VT. Uncle Steve will be missed by many nieces and nephews: Nicole and Orrin Carr of Seymour, TN, Laura Edwards of Nashua, NH; Jared Levesque and Stacy Callahan of Merrimack, NH, Robert Pelletier of Philadelphia, PA, Samuel Pelletier of Newport Beach, CA, Katherine Pelletier of Essex, VT, Rachel Pelletier of Brighton, MA, an aunt, an uncle, several cousins, and innumerable dear friends – he will be forever in our thoughts.

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at St. Louis de Gonzague Church in Nashua on October 10, 2020 at 10:00 A.M. There will be attendees in high risk groups; please follow all current Covid precautions including social distancing and face mask use. Committal prayers will be held later in a private family ceremony. Memorial donations in Steve’s name may be made to: Kachemak Heritage Land Trust www.kachemaklandtrust.org or Wildlife Heritage Foundation of NH www.nhwildlifeheritage.org.

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