Steven Robert TESSIER

Steven Robert Tessier of Hampton died unexpectedly on June 14 at Portsmouth Hospital. He was born in Portsmouth on April 13, 1949 to Robert and Irene (Ricard) Tessier; both are deceased. He had three siblings; Roberta (Tess) Smith and husband Steve Smith, Gail Tessier Brown and husband Paul Brown and Douglas Tessier - deceased. He attended Stratham Elementary School and Exeter Junior and Senior High Schools, graduating in 1967. He then attended the University of New Hampshire (Plymouth State College) where he received his degree in Education. His various professional positions over the years took him and his wife and best friend Virginia (Ginger) Wadleigh Tessier around the country. He worked corporate positions in real estate procurement, leasing and sales for IGA Supermarkets, McDonald's Corporation and Logan's Roadhouse Restaurants. He taught at an inner city middle school in Jacksonville, Florida and on the Pojoaque Pueblo Reservation in New Mexico. He and Ginger lived fulltime in a motorhome for four years with their four greyhounds and all the technical equipment required for staying in touch with the corporate world on their dashboard. His most recent "retirement" job was transporting students and faculty for PEA and driving the Hampton Recreation Department bus.

Steve and Ginger were high school sweethearts who married in 1970 and still liked each other. They lived their dream life of being together and seeing the world; they loved the simplicity of spending summers in Amish Country in Ohio as well as the excitement and challenges of Vietnam, Thailand, Australia and Iceland. Their shared bond can never be broken, even by Steven's death. He leaves his father-in-law, William Wadleigh of Hampton, his two sisters and their husbands, a "special sister" Cheryl Morris and her husband Mike, and many Aunts, Uncles, Nieces, Nephews, Cousins and friends around the country and the world. Steven was friendly, loving, kind, intelligent, generous and funny. He was passionate about Indy Car Racing, the Red Sox, music, hockey, biking, kayaking, politics and giving of himself to help others. He had a way of making everyone see the bright side; it was hard to be unhappy when he was around. His students and coworkers have come forward this week with some wonderful stories and tributes.

Per his wishes, services will be private. If you wish to honor Steven with a monetary donation, please consider Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee where he was a volunteer for many years. That address is 331 Great Circle Road, Nashville, TN 37228 - 615-329-3491 or Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres USA, Inc.; 40 Rector Street, 16th Floor, NY, NY 10006 Attention: In Memoriam or call 888-392-0392.

Please be kind to one another; it will keep him smiling. Namaste.

Arrangements provided by Brewitt Funeral Home, 14 Pine St., Exeter, NH. For an online guestbook please visit www.brewittfuneralhome.com.