Obituary of F. Stephen "Steve" Mercier

Francis Stephen “Steve” Mercier of Belchertown, Massachusetts, and Estero, Florida, passed away unexpectedly on January 23, 2024. Steve was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on January 27, 1943, to Eugene Mercier and Gabrielle (Prairie) Mercier. He attended Trade High School in Springfield. His commitment, determination and honorable work ethic would later lead him to become the proud founder and owner of Steve’s Alignment and Brake. It was soon clear by the following of his loyal customers that Steve was born to be the amazing auto mechanic he became, which led to a thriving business. He was highly respected by his customers, many of which became friends. Steve was a hard-working man, always working tirelessly to support his family and serve his community. His love for his family was evident in the endless effort he put in every day to ensure they were taken care of in every way. He was a man of genuine honesty, ethical character and principle. He was always a man of his word. He was tough but he had a soft side to him, albeit often reserved for those closest to him, a trait that became more pronounced over the years and something his loved ones enjoyed watching as it unfolded. He had an amazing love for, and life with, his beloved wife Penny. The way he stepped up and took care of her when she became ill is something his daughters will always admire him for. After her passing, Steve showed up every single day for his daughters and grandchildren as if Penny was still guiding him. Some of us are lucky to find love once, but Steve was blessed to have found it a second time with Denise Tabor, his partner for 15 years. Together they shared a life that brought them joy. Denise continued to guide him in life and took extremely good care of him. Something his daughters are grateful for. In his early years, he was a dirt bike rider and quite the hill climber. He was a great skier, spending countless winter weekends with his daughters on the slopes. He loved boating and met several of his life-long friends while cruising along the Connecticut River. He was a very talented wood worker, spending countless hours in his wood shop building beautiful furniture pieces, including his great grandson’s special bed. He also loved to travel and explore. Cancun, Mexico, had a special place in his heart, where he was known as Señor Esteban to the locals. He traveled there for many years, making the most amazing memories with family and friends. Upon retirement, he took up golfing. He would be the first to admit he was not the best at it, but he enjoyed it very much and made it his mission to perfect his game. He even got a hole-in-one this past fall. When you are continuously doing the things you love that bring you joy, and surround yourself with the people you love, that is the only perfection needed in life, and Steve had just that. For anyone that knew him, it goes without saying that he was a beer man. If you were stopping by to say hello to Steve, anywhere or anytime, he was going to offer you a cold one, whether it was from his fridge or a cooler he always had with him. We would like to think that if Steve could tell us one last thing, it would be to “show up for life” and make sure to “rock and roll with the ocean”. Steve will forever live on in the hearts of those who loved him. He is survived by his daughters: Karen Mercier and her partner Christopher Bernardos, and Stephanie Chapin and her husband Robert Chapin, his beautiful grandchildren: Amanda Nacsin and her husband Eric Nacsin, Colin Vigneault and partner Mia Rizzo, and Kyle Vigneault and wife Natasha Sankalia as well as his great grandson, Lincoln Nacsin. He will be missed dearly by his sweetheart Denise, and all her family that embraced him with open arms. He grew very close to Denise’s children and grandchildren and enjoyed the time he spent with his extended family very much. Steve also leaves his sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, several nieces and nephews, and many life-long and new friends, all of whom will miss him. Steve was predeceased by his wife Penelope Mercier, his sister Claire Gurley and his son-in-law Kevin Douville. Services will be held on Saturday, February 17th to celebrate the life well lived of Steve. Calling hours will be at Beers and Story Funeral Home, Belchertown, from 10AM-12PM. Following the services, family and friends are welcome to celebrate Steve at the Ludlow Country Club where we can gather and share our fondest memories of Steve.