STEPHEN HERBERT BINET

(1954 - 2026) Stephen left the party on February 4th, holding the hand of his beloved wife, Lynda. He had spent the day with Lynda, their loving daughter, Brittany, and his siblings. His illness was brief and he fought his cancer as best he could. Stephen was born in Oakville, ON, to Mickey and Betty Binet. As an infant, he lost an older brother, Peter, but was joined by a younger brother, David, and a sister, Elizabeth. He thrived as a young boy in his loving family and with a group of friends in Port Credit, ON, where he was never far from an ice rink, a baseball diamond, a fort or some other adventure. It seemed that every lunch was grilled cheese and tomato soup, every day's outfit was a navy blue turtleneck and blue jeans, and every season brought a different team sport. He attended Trinity College School (TCS) in Port Hope, ON, where he thrived. After graduation from TCS, he attended Queen's University in Kingston, ON, graduating with a B. Comm in 1977. The friends made at TCS and Queen's, for the most part, became his Toronto-based "boys club." Though he moved away from Toronto in his mid-20s, those early friendships stayed strong and meant the world to Steve and to his family. Stephen's career in reinsurance took him to Hamilton, Bermuda, where more lifelong friendships were formed and where he fell in love with Lynda Sims from Portsmouth, England, who had also moved to Bermuda for work. They married in 1984 and moved to the Westport, CT, area where they raised their family. His career blossomed and he became an Executive Vice President at AON Reinsurance. Stephen and Lynda shared a life full of love, laughter, parties, travel and cherished family moments with Brittany and Billy (1989 - 2017). Holidays and visits with friends and family in Canada, the US, England and Bermuda were always lively, warm and memorable. Anyone who knew Stephen was lucky. He was fun, smart, and gregarious. He knew right from wrong. He also knew right from left, but mostly tried to keep that to himself. He loved a room full of people, and the room always loved him back. He savoured good stories, including his own. And he believed no good story should be told only once. He loved to laugh, and he was especially enriched when he could get others to laugh with him. He read widely. He was devoted to his family, his friends and his work. He didn't have a mean bone in his body. His loss is deeply felt and he will be missed. Stephen is survived by his wife, Lynda; his daughter, Brittany, and her daughters, Amelia and Isabelle, who lit up his life. He is also survived by his sister, Elizabeth Laing; and brother, David. He was Uncle Stephen or Stephen to nieces, nephews, in-laws and friends in Canada, the UK, the US and Bermuda. To know Stephen was to love him. He joins his beloved Billy, which makes us feel a little better. A celebration of Stephen's life will take place in Connecticut in the spring. Drinks will be served, stories will be told, and deep gratitude felt.