Steven Lynnworth

WEST GARDINER - Steven (Stevie to his family) Lynnworth of West Gardiner, passed away at his home on May 25th after a long battle with cancer. He is very much loved and will be greatly missed.
Stevie is survived by his wife, Nadine Zdanovich; his brother Daniel Lynnworth and his wife Roberta Lynnworth, and their children Madison Lynnworth, and Maxwell Lynnworth; his sister Ann Lynnworth; his uncle Raymond Lynnworth and aunt Shelley Lynnworth; cousin Jill (Lynnworth) Rand, her husband Kevin Rand and their son Brian Rand; and uncle Arthur Lynnworth and aunt Margaret Lynnworth; his aunt Gertrud Teschner; and his cousins, Annette (Teschner) Wallbrect; Ulrich Teschner; Ursula (Simon) Pisarsky; and Martin Simon.
He is also survived by his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Darcia and Alan Aronson; his niece Beatrice Colman and her three sons, Mason, A.J. and Damian; his nephew Andrew Colman; his nephew Justin Aronson; and his father-in-law, Joseph Zdanovich.
Also left behind are Michael and Akemi Zdanovich and family, S. Zdanovich and family, the Capello family, Ron Gochakowski and V. Zdanovich and family, and A. Zdanovich & Peter Farran and family.
He will be very much missed by his long-time friends, Chris Doyle and Tracey Russel Doyle; Joe and Jordana Napurano; Joe and Claudine True; Andy Argondizza and Tracy Argondizza, and Andy's mother, Maizie Argondizza.
Stevie was delighted to play with some very talented fellow musicians for Maizie's 90th birthday party, recently.
He will also be very much missed by his bandmates in Mes Amis - Harry Richter, Duane Edwards, and Shane Ellis; and his good friend and bandleader from Big Chief, Jeff Davison; his fellow musicians and good friends, Pam Tyler; Laura Richter; Lefty and Beth McAuslin; Steve Jones; Scott and Jo Elliot; Dianne Davison; Jason Ricci, Gabe Terracciano, Cristián Gutierréz, Christine Poulson, Jason Phelps and Josh Small; and former Mes Amis band members, Greg Lindholm, Mike Burd, and Gordon Wells.
Stevie enjoyed friendship and the chance to play music with many, many more wonderful, loving, kind and talented members of his musical family that grew with him over the years.
In addition, Stevie leaves behind his beloved cats, Julius (aka 'Poppet J. Bandicoot'), Miss Nina Velour, Macintosh MacGillicuddy, Monkey, and Nosey.
He was predeceased by his father Lawrence Lynnworth and his mother Marianne Lynnworth; and his mother-in-law, Mary Lou Zdanovich. He was also predeceased by his maternal grandparents Hermann and Marie Blenk, and paternal grandparents Maurice and Adele Lynnworth; and his cousin Randy Lynnworth; and sister-in-law Tanya Zdanovich.
Stevie was a very talented and lifelong guitarist, musical composer and lyricist, artist, craftsman, carpenter, and also an author of his book titled 'Understanding The Chords'.
During his high school summers, he volunteered at Team Randy in New Jersey, which was created by his uncle and aunt, Ray and Shelley Lynnworth in honor of their son, Randy Lynnworth. Stevie was able to stay in touch with his friend, Tommy Spadaro, whom he met at Team Randy.
He graduated from Weston High School, Massachusetts, from the 11th grade, and went on to the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) to study architecture.
Stevie left RISD after two years to follow his desire to play guitar, and to design and build a timber frame home for his parents in Georgetown, Maine.
He and Nadine also built a cabin and a timber frame home of their own together, which is still an ongoing adventure.
Stevie and Nadine met while they worked at Panametrics, Inc. in Waltham, Massachusetts, when he was employed in the Flow Meter Division's research and development department. While at Panametrics, he was listed on a U.S. patent and was a contributor to several technical papers.
They moved to Georgetown, Maine in May of 1994, and Stevie explored the music scene in the Midcoast and Central areas of Maine, meeting many musicians that would become his dear friends.
He started his blues band 'The Swinging Blue Matadors' in Massachusetts, and eventually brought that band to Maine. He also created the band 'Uncle Ray', and 'The Navigators'.
Stevie performed on the bass guitar for the band 'Jimmy Junkins & The Soulcats' which opened for B.B. King in January of 1998 in Portland, Maine, and he played guitar at various coastal Maine venues with Lake Larsson and The Soul Benders, as well as being invited to play guitar for the Shirley Lewis Band when she performed in Maine.
He was also called to play guitar for pianist Pinetop Perkins, when Pinetop traveled to Maine.
For twenty years, Stevie enjoyed playing music every Wednesday morning at The Maine Veterans Home in Augusta, with fellow musician Lefty McAuslin, up until March of 2020. Many of the residents looked forward to their music, and Stevie and Lefty often played at their annual picnics.
They continued to impress each other with clever puns, trying to outdo each other.
For a short stint, he also taught guitar at University of Maine in Augusta (UMA), while the professor was away.
Stevie developed a new interest and appreciation for jazz standards, swing, rhythm & blues, and a bit of New Orleans jazz, for many wonderful years when he joined Jeff Davison's band 'Big Chief', in Maine.
In 2003, Stevie created the score and soundtrack for a delightful, locally produced film called 'SideSitters'.
Eventually, Stevie discovered the world of gypsy jazz guitar, and formed his own Gypsy Jazz band 'Mes Amis' with Toby Tyler in 2010, and performed during Sunday Brunch at Toby and Pam Tyler's restaurant, Riverside Farm Restaurant in Oakland, Maine.
Mes Amis played at their annual Gypsy Jazz Festival, along with many other gypsy jazz groups near and far, and musical cabarets were also a feature at the restaurant during the winter months until the summer season returned.
Mes Amis was invited to play on the set of 'The Nite Show with Danny Cashman' (recorded at NESCOM/Husson College) in Bangor, in September of 2015.
In May of 2018, Mes Amis was recorded live at the Bangor Studio of MPBN (Maine Public Broadcasting Network) for the radio program 'Jazz Tonight with Rich Tozier'.
Stevie was also highly sought after as an on-call guest guitarist for many other 'pick-up' bands over the years.
Each gig he played was an adventure in itself, as it brought Stevie and Nadine to all sorts of interesting places in the beautiful State of Maine and beyond.
Up until March 2020, Stevie taught guitar and ukulele professionally at Musicians 1st Choice in Augusta, Maine.
Employing his special sense of humor and being proficient with many different vocal accents, Stevie once called the music store and pretended to be an elderly Mainer lady looking to purchase 'two tickets to The Pioneer Show' (which had occurred the week before), causing Steve Beaulieu a bit of consternation before Stevie let him know it was a prank call.
Stevie also taught guitar at the University of Maine in Farmington, Maine.
He occasionally gave private lessons to people who truly wanted to study and learn guitar or ukulele.
A short stint playing in a local blues band (the Juke Joint Devils) allowed him a chance to stray back into blues before he became ill.
Stevie was given the opportunity by bass guitar player Ross Gallagher, to teach several Bass Guitar and Master Classes at the Snow Pond Center for the Arts in Sidney, Maine during the summer of 2022. He met many exceptional teachers and students there, and was able to record several duets with some of the students.
He was invited to play at the first annual LoganFest in 2022, in honor of Logan Johnston, who, along with Phyllis Gardiner (both amazing and supportive individuals), helped so many people, community projects, and businesses in Gardiner, for which we will all be eternally grateful.
Stevie generously gave his time to organize a musical duo, with a special guest each week, in support of the Gardiner Food Co-op on Sunday mornings up until mid-December of 2022
Stevie also played popular jazz standards with Pam Tyler on Thursdays at Amici's in Waterville, in November and early December of 2022, until his illness prevented him from performing live. How we wished he could have continued!
Stevie composed and recorded many original songs and instrumentals, which are available in CD format, and on Spotify and YouTube. He produced CD albums for his group Mes Amis, such as: 'Tomorrow Is Another Day', 'The Spirit', 'Mes Amis/New York Trio', and his latest work, 'Full Circle'.
He also appears on another recent collaboration, 'Big Groove All-Stars - Volume One', produced by Mark Napoleone and Andy Argondizza.
Stevie has two other musical CD projects waiting in the wings.
He enjoyed summertime forays in the last few years with Nadine to Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, visiting with cousin Joanna Joiner, her husband Arlindo DaSilva and their son Jonas, and with Selma and Noel Wang.
Stevie and Nadine also made delightful visits to the summer camp of Laura and Harry Richter at Lake George in Skowhegan, where Laura created many fine meals and Stevie and Harry provided gypsy jazz music by the lake on lovely afternoons.
Last summer, Stevie was able to make it to New York City with his uncle Raymond and cousin Ronnie Shalom to see one of his favorite jazz guitarists play at Barbès in Brooklyn.
Stevie's uncle on his father's side - Raymond, shared:
"In Uncle Raymie's mind, Stevie was the Leonardo da Vinci he knew. A musician, an artist, a sculptor, with an engineer's mental vision, and able to build what he envisioned. He was also gentle Stevie. Clearly exploring life his way, and being a gift to those in his orbit".
His aunt (Tante) Gertrud writes "Stevie was a special nephew for me. Not according to plan, he was born at home during a heavy New England snowstorm. I had to support his little head before he was completely born, and then keep him warm in a towel. Stevie was a cute little fellow who loved to sing, have fun, and good-naturedly teased his older cousins. Later on, he became a very successful musician and composer, and even built a house, as a young man. I saw Stevie come into this world, and now sadly have to live with his much too early death, feeling that he was a little bit like one of my own children. May he rest in peace, surrounded by and playing along with another kind of music, and with his parents at his side".
Stevie's cousin Annette tells us that "Stevie was my beloved little cousin, whom I saw for the first time when he was two years old. We crossed the ocean to visit, and he kept singing 'We welcome you today and I hope that you will stay'. Since then, I saw Stevie become a fine artist, a creative housebuilder, a very gifted musician and last but not least, a man with a great sense of special humor - Stevie was always good to be with. I am glad I got to see him once more in the very end, and will always miss my warm-hearted cousin".
His cousin Ulrich described Stevie as "...beloved; he was humorous, sensitive and at the same time a very determined person. One of the few in our family that lived the life he wanted to live His wonderful music will live on and keep him close to us always."
Stevie's wife, Nadine adds: 'Stevie inspired and touched many lives with his positive spirit, generosity, humor, wisdom and love of music. We are all feeling a great loss with his departure from this world, but we can hear his message continue on in the legacy of his creative endeavors. I am feeling deep grief, but truly this is a measure of how much love we shared with each other.'
We are very grateful for the kind, caring, supportive attention and professionalism of the members of Staples Funeral home, thank you Brock, Lynn and Tenlee!
No services will be held at his request, but there may be a memorial Celebration of Life in the future.
In his honor, feel free to create music, write a song or a poem, or support the arts in some way.
Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to your local schools in support of musical art programs; MainePublic's annual donated musical instrument drive, ('Music That Moves ME'); The Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care in Augusta, Maine; P.A.L.S Cat Shelter in Winthrop; or the Kennebec Valley Humane Society in Augusta.
Arrangements are entrusted with Staples Funeral Home and Cremation Care, 53 Brunswick Avenue, Gardiner, Maine. Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the Staples Funeral Home website, www.staplesfuneralhome.com