Steven Tower

NORTHFIELD - Steven Tower passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loving wife Heather and their two children, Chris and Sara. Having graduated from Mt. Hermon in '68, Steve married Heather ('73) in Russell Sage Chapel in 1984. Always wanting to live in Northfield, they found 46 Main St. for sale and moved to Northfield from Norwalk, CT in 2003. They have truly enjoyed living in such a wonderful and welcoming community.
Steve was an educator at heart. After working as an educator and administrator at IBM for fourteen years, he returned to the classroom and earned his Master of Arts in Teaching at Manhattanville College. He taught 3rd through 5th grade for many years at schools in New York and Connecticut, including Greenwich Country Day, Rippowam Cisqua, The Dalton School, Pear Tree Point, and St. Luke's School. After moving to Northfield, Steve taught at the Center School in Amherst before becoming the Director of Education and co-owner of the Sylvan Learning Center in Keene, NH. He always sought to instill a lifelong love of learning in his students.
An active member of the local community, Steve chaired the diaconate at the Trinitarian Congregational Church, conducted the church choir, chaired the Friends of Schell Bridge, and served as an adult leader with Troop 9. He and Heather continued to be engaged NMH alumni and parents (Chris '05 and Sara '07), avidly supporting the school's mission to educate the head, heart, and hand.
In Connecticut, he was a long time member of the First Presbyterian Church of Stamford where he served as an Elder and Deacon, and sang in the choir along with his wife. Soccer Rec leagues gave Steve the opportunity to coach both his children every Saturday morning for many years. When his son became a boy scout, he found a new passion, and became active in Troop 2 as a member of the Troop Committee. He enjoyed his summers as Scout Master with the troop at Camp Yawgoog in Rhode Island. Family camping also became a fun summer adventure that took them to Camp Wilmot in Wilmot, NH for 10 years, and on many other memorable family trips.
Choral singing was a life-long passion of Steve's. He sang for 29 years with the Greenwich Choral Society in Greenwich, Conn. After moving to Northfield, he and Heather sang with the Blanche Moyes Chorale and the Brattleboro chorus, before joining Da Camara Singers in Amherst where he also served as Vice President, as well as American Harmony, a shape-note group in the Valley. He loved attending concerts and reveled in music of all kinds, from Bach to Broadway. A consummate actor, he was a member of the Country Players and the Silverthorne Theater Company, where he appeared in several productions, most notably as Colonel Pickering in "My Fair Lady" and Georg Bramburger in "Black Comedy".
Steve loved the Northfield community and took pride in being the next steward of his historic home at 46 Main Street. His remarkable devotion to his many projects has left a profound impression on his friends and family, and he is deeply grateful for their love and support throughout his final journey.
As Heather's grandfather would say, Cheerio!
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday (May 14) at 2 p.m. at the Trinitarian Congregational Church, 147 Main St. Northfield. In lieu of flowers, Steve requests donations to Hospice of Franklin County, the Tower Family Scholarship Fund at NMH or the Trinitarian Congregational Church of Northfield.