April 4th 1970 – February 25th 2024
North Grafton – Stephen C Pailler, 53, a resident of North Grafton and formerly of Framingham, died at his home, unexpectedly on Sunday February 25th, 2024.
Born in Framingham, he was the son of the late Kenneth Pailler Jr. & Dottie Cavicchio and her husband Paul Emery, both deceased.
Steve is survived by his wife Nancie L. Pailler (Kovalik), his beloved soulmate of 17 short years, and his children: Jordyn Pailler, Blake Pailler, Vincent Picconi, Nicole Picconi, and Dominic Picconi; his grandchildren: Max, DJ, Ryan, and Vivienne; his siblings: Karen (Pailler) Bent & her husband Rusty, Sharon Pailler, and Michael Pailler & his wife Christine; his uncles and many nieces and nephews.
Along with his parents, Steve was predeceased by his newborn twins, Summer and Stephen, Jr.
Steve was raised and educated in Framingham, and was a member of Framingham North High School, class of 1988. As a kid, he worked on the family pig farm in Sudbury alongside his grandfather, Gaetano “Emmy” Cavicchio and later ran Cavicchio Loam with his Uncle David Cavicchio. In winters, he took pride in his snow plowing operations, plowing the same parking lots in Sudbury for years and later for his beloved cousin John DeNapoli. He was captivated by the weather and was known for sharing his weather forecasts with family, friends, and fellow plow drivers.
Anything Steve did, he did it well and took it to the next level. He was a certified USA Hockey Coach, and a mentor to countless young players. He was an avid Bruins fan, and had an enormous, refrigerated backyard hockey rink, complete with a Zamboni, and skates for the entire neighborhood, who all knew him as “Mr. Steve”. Steve created a flourishing backyard rink community online that consisted of 30k members, encouraging and mentoring all who joined. Steve was a talented sports and wedding photographer. Steve was a jack of all trades and a master of many.
Steve was gifted in many sports including golf, a sport he claimed to “hate” and yet naturally excelled at. He proudly ran in multiple Boston Marathons as a “bandit”. Evel Knievel truly had nothing on Steve, a daredevil himself he enjoyed and even preferred dangerous hobbies. His passions along with hockey were motocross, riding snowmobiles, and of course car racing. His pro stock car was always #66.
Steve’s sense of humor was contagious and often on full display, especially when telling stories, utilizing his “special voices” for effect. He was always willing to lend a hand whether you were a friend, family, neighbor or stranger. He had a true heart of gold, and whether you were family or not he always made you feel like you were. He was a kid at heart. He loved being “THE HOUSE” for trick or treating on Halloween, always giving out full sized candy bars and talking to all the kids.
Family and friends will gather to honor and remember Steve’s life at the McCarthy, McKinney & Lawler Funeral Home, 11 Lincoln St. Framingham, on Sunday, March 10th from 1-3:45pm. A Time of Remembrance will begin at 4:00pm. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Concussion Legacy Foundation are appreciated. Donations can be made through their website, https://concussionfoundation.org/.
