Stephen (Steve) Hathaway Willis passed away peacefully in his home in Warren on April 15, 2025, at the age of 83.
Here in The Valley, Steve was known for his kindness, gentleness, and great willingness to help wherever he was needed. He was an EMT with the Mad River Valley Ambulance Service for more than 20 years, and he variously served as a volunteer and board member, including in the roles of treasurer and president, and he remained as an auxiliary member. He was certified with the American Heart Association and frequently led CPR and first aid training in the community.
Steve married his first wife, Wilton High School classmate Nancy Thompson, in 1964 – they were both members of the first graduating class of the school. Steve attended Pfeiffer College in the small town of Misenheimer, North Carolina, before transferring to American University. He graduated from American University in January 1966 and entered the Marines in spring of that same year. He spent 13 months in Vietnam, where he was based in Dong Ha and assigned as a platoon commander for the 11th Engineer Battalion. He completed his tour at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in May 1969, a few months after the birth of his first daughter, Jennifer.
The family moved to Binghamton, New York, where Steve started graduate school for anthropology, but he withdrew after two years. The family moved around as Steve worked at Morgan Guaranty Trust Company and then at American Home Products Corporation. His second daughter, Rebecca, was born in March 1972.
In December 1979, Steve took a job with Standard Oil Co of Ohio (SOHIO), and his family moved there to join him. Steve and Nancy divorced in 1983.
Steve married a second time, in what he described as a “classic rebound romance and marriage and…divorce,” and when his job with Standard Oil was eliminated as part of a major downsizing, Steve returned to New England, where he became involved in special education and with the Red Cross. He started his time with the Red Cross as a volunteer, and later as a paid staff member in Central Vermont, Rutland, and Hartland.
When he returned to Vermont, he found himself working as a paraeducator at Harwood Union, where he met Pam Lerner in 1989, and they have been together ever since.
In 1996, Steve transferred to the International Committee of the Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies and served in various capacities in missions in the Southern Caucasus republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. He spent more than a year as a liaison in and around Skopje (Macedonia), Mitrovica and Pristina (in Kosovo), assisting with programs ranging from food kitchens to water sanitation infrastructure, to psychosocial programs helping children and residents of the area navigate PTSD and trauma, and more.
In Azerbaijan, though it wasn’t part of the original scope of work, Steve’s experience in first aid resulted in him leading and coordinating the development of the first-ever first aid manual they ever had, including working with locals to translate the material from English into Azerbaijani. In addition, he coordinated and led some first aid training during his post there.
Steve’s disposition and position allowed him to work closely and effectively with representatives from other non-governmental organizations and local experts, whose talents, skills and humor he recognized wherever he was stationed, and the locals respected him in kind.
His last assignment was the head of delegation in Yerevan, Armenia, where his work included developing and training field officers, as well as building apartments for some of the people displaced from a massive Armenian earthquake.
Back in The Valley, Steve and Pam opened their home to students from overseas as part of the Project Harmony program. They both delighted in sharing the wonders of their hometown with students from around the world.
In the years since, both Steve and Pam have been actively involved with the Valley Dems, and Steve served a stint as their president as well. He and Pam were regular attendees at meetings and gave freely of their time writing postcards and attending protests and events advocating for causes from caring for the environment to civil rights and more.
Steve and Pam also served together on the board of Lost Nation Theater, and a few years ago, coming out of COVID lockdowns, Steve heard that Harwood was in need of help, so, at the age of 80, he came out of retirement and returned to education as a full-time teaching assistant until the opening at Warren Elementary, and after a year there, he took a position at Brookside Primary School in Waterbury, just a few miles from the home that he and Pam shared.
Steve loved the outdoors, reading, and listening to all kinds of music, from ABBA to opera. He also enjoyed photography, sketching, blueberry pancakes, and peppermintstick ice cream. He was known for leaving places better than he found them, from his Red Cross postings to his and Pam’s excursions with trash bag in tow, picking up debris around Blueberry Lake as well as walkabouts closer to home. Steve also had a penchant for crossword puzzles, particularly the NYT puzzle, and reading a hard copy of a newspaper was an integral part of his routine no matter where he was. He is lovingly remembered for his keen sense of humor, his genuine interest in and care for people, his empathy and compassion, and his seemingly endless well of patience.
Steve was predeceased by his parents, Janet and Lovell Willis, and his brothers Francis (Tom) Townsend Willis (Bonnie) and Samuel Thayer Willis (Etta). He is survived by his brother Roger L Willis (Sharon), daughters Becca Sundal (Scott) and Jennifer Kleinhenn (Daryl), many loving nieces and nephews, and partner Pamela Lerner and her sons – Alexander Court (Jenn; sons James and Sam) and Barnaby Court (Jamie).
A memorial service will be held at the Round Barn in Waitsfield on Saturday, May 17, at 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in Steve’s memory may be made to Mad River Valley Ambulance Service (https://www.mrvas.org/) or Heifer International (https://www.heifer.org/).
