Stephen Kulik

STEPHEN KULIK

Worthington, MA - Stephen "Steve" Kulik, 72, died at home on December 18th, surrounded by his family. The cause was colon cancer, first diagnosed in 2019.

A long-time State Representative who brought a broad rural perspective to the Massachusetts Legislature, Steve was known as a strong advocate for the 27 small towns he represented in the First Franklin District.

"I guess how I would like most to be remembered is that I brought a sense of how the political structure in the state didn't necessarily have to ignore our part of the state-that if we had legislators working together as a coalition that we could get a lot of stuff done," Steve said in a Nov. 17 interview at his home. "And being a part of that coalition was really important to me because I think the best results are collaborative. And they result in such long-lasting benefits for people."

Steve was born Aug. 3, 1950 in Boston to Phyllis (McFarland) Kulik and the late Stanley Kulik and grew up in Newton.

He and his wife Suzanne Thaxter (Brown) Kulik, who celebrated their 50 th anniversary July 1, met while marching from Cambridge to Boston to protest the Vietnam War as part of the October Moratorium in 1969. Steve said it wasn't out of the question he could meet a like- minded person in that crowd. The same went for Suzy, who noticed Steve's long blond hair, corduroy jacket and red beard. "And I went, oh, I'll march alongside him," she said.

Their family today includes a son, Samuel Kulik (Emily Giglierano) and daughter, Elizabeth Watson (Matthew Watson); grandchildren, June and Aeolia; brother, David Kulik (Monica Kulik) and mother, Phyllis Kulik.

He graduated from Newton High School before attending community college and, much later, University of Massachusetts Amherst through its University Without Walls.

Steve and Suzy moved to Worthington in 1976, where they found lifelong friends among the locals and fellow transplants. Their intent was to build their own house using Steve's rudimentary knowledge of carpentry and books Suzy had read on the topic. With the advice and help of hilltown contractors, they completed the house in 5 months (or 45 years, depending on one's definition of "completed").

His inspiration to get involved in local politics began when he attended the Annual Town Meeting the spring they moved to Worthington and was "totally blown away that people could actually participate in town government openly." Though a newcomer, he was elected to the Planning Board in 1979 and Select board four years later, serving until 1993.

"I guess it goes back to my roots on how Suzy and I met, and seeing at the national level you could have large demonstrations and so forth, and did it really make a difference with anything? Not really," Steve said. "But you could do something in a place like Worthington on issues that mattered to people like their schools and their roads, the buildings, their budgets, that sort of thing."

Steve's time on the selectboard brought him up close with impactful small-town issues such as school budgeting and water contamination from the use of the pesticide Temik. While attending meetings in other towns, Steve recognized they, too, were stretched thin dealing with the same issues and lack of money. "We really needed to act regionally as much as possible and begin to work as a collaborative of towns," he said.

The year 1993 was a significant one for Steve, when he won re-election as selectman, was named president of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, and decided to run for First Franklin District State Representative after Jay Healy's departure to be State Agriculture Commissioner. After a 58-vote victory in the Democratic primary, Steve went on to win in the October special election, serving until his retirement in January 2019.

"I saw an opportunity to bring attention to everything I'd seen since moving to Worthington in terms of school needs, funding, roads-a lot of things that were neglected by state programs," he said. "We were taxpayers out here too but we hadn't gotten our fair share. Why was that?"

Throughout his career, Steve found success through collaboration and fostering strong relationships with his constituents and colleagues alike, regularly driving 25,000 miles in a year while visiting the towns in his district and commuting to the State House. He endlessly enjoyed the character and scenic beauty of the region on those trips, and appreciated the support of his family when he would spend nights in Boston.

"It has been a joy to live with someone who was in the place he was meant to be and had the job he was meant to do," Suzy Kulik said.

He recalled the long sessions during budget week. "I learned so much about how you can sit down at a negotiation table and get it done," he said. "I also learned how important it was to work with a variety of governors whether Republican or Democrat. We've had some good ones. I don't begrudge their party titles at all."

In the House, he rose to Vice Chair of Ways and Means Committee and started the Legislative Rural Caucus. Broadening his influence beyond Mass., he served on the Council of State Governments Executive Committee (Eastern region) and SARL, an American-Canadian organization of state and rural agricultural leaders.

Over the years, Steve's tenure in government was marked by a particular concern and effectiveness with constituent services, spending many hours on the phone and in person helping solve citizens' problems, large and small. Among the notable policies he sponsored were expanding broadband internet access for rural areas, co-creating the Food Policy Council, and establishing the land conservation tax credit. He was proud to support landmark state bills for universal health care and the legalization of same-sex marriage.

Following his retirement from public office, Steve served on the boards of CISA, Double Edge Theatre, Cooley-Dickinson Hospital and Massachusetts Chapter of The Nature Conservancy.

He was a Justice of the Peace from 1993 to 2021, and took great pleasure in facilitating 25 local weddings, including those of his children.

Steve had a natural ability to balance family life with a complex work schedule.

His greatest pleasure was seeing his children thrive in the environment he and Suzy had created. The addition to the family of their spouses and then the arrival of grandchildren was deeply satisfying. Annual family trips to Bethany Beach, Del. with Suzy's family and frequent vacations on the coast of Maine complemented Steve's love of his favorite place, Worthington. He found inspiration and comfort in nature, authoring two Audubon Society field guides: Natural Places of the Northeast ,Coastal and Inland.

It's appropriate that a concert-1975's outdoor benefit for the local health center featuring Arlo Guthrie-was the reason for Steve's first visit to the town he would call home for the next 45 years. He attended more than 1,000 concerts in his lifetime and could recall the details of all of them, whether historic (the Beatles, Woodstock, Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones) or at local venues (UMass, Tanglewood, and the Dream Away Lodge). He shared his love and knowledge of music with his brother and son, both professional musicians who Steve got to hear often.

A lifelong Red Sox fan, Steve attended the 1967 World Series and joyfully chaperoned the 2004 World Series trophy on its tour through the towns in his district. For over 40 years he would read the daily box scores to track the players on his fantasy baseball team. His club, the Danzig Bears, were 6-time champions of the "League of Nations," which was chartered way back in 1985.

A memorial service will be held in the spring, Steve's favorite season. Memorial donations may be made in his name to the Worthington Historical Society [worthingtonhistoricalsociety.org, PO Box 12, Worthington, MA, 01098); the Hilltown Land Trust [hilltownlandtrust.org, 332 Bullitt Rd, Ashfield, MA 01330); or Pioneer Valley Jazz Shares (jazzshares.org).]. Please go to Czelusniakfuneralhome.com for online condolences and tribute book.