Christmas Day 2021
Dearest Stephen, 
Dad and I love you so very much and miss you every day.  It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since you left us. Rest in peace, darling boy. You are in our hearts until we are all together again.
All my love,
Mom


Our Handsome Boy (pg. 2)

He loved Sinatra, Lennon, Eminem and Billy Joel. Pretty eclectic taste. Sometimes he would go food shopping with Linda. Yup. They would facetime as Stephen was walking up and down the aisles looking for the right ingredients to family recipes. He always wanted to make sure he got everything just right. 
But most of all I think he just loved talking to his mom, even if it was silly stuff. He just wanted to hear her reassuring voice. They have that bond that only a mother and son can have, and I love being witness to that. Nine times out of ten he would call Linda, not me. But that one time he called me, she figured he was mad at her about something. That was never the case.
Stephen was also a fierce competitor. Once when coaching him in baseball, he had a particularly bad game. After striking out for the third time he flung his bat toward the dugout, narrowly missing me as I was marking up his K in the scorebook. I didn’t flinch. I never looked up from the book. And I never called him out for what he did. Because I knew it was that competitive fire that burned in him that motivated him, period. Now maybe if he had actually hit me that story would have had a different ending.
In the past couple of weeks we've heard how he touched so many people of whom even we weren't aware. A close friend told us Stephen literally saved his life. Some—who haven’t seen Stephen in some time-- told us just thinking of him brought a smile to their face. Others said, even while he was battling his own demons, he worked hard to help others battle theirs. He never judged them. He just did what he could do to help them. That’s who Stephen was. And he fought off his own demons for many years, until he no longer could. 
It is still incomprehensible to us that our beautiful boy is actually gone and our hearts are broken beyond repair. We love you pal. We always will.


Our Handsome Boy

Before I begin I need to be honest with you. I’m angry that we have to be here today. I’m angry that Linda and I have to bury our only son. No parent should have to go through that. And I’m angry that you have to be here to share in our grief.
But we’re here today to remember and honor Stephen. So…
Stephen was our miracle baby, and he grew up to be a complex young man. Our handsome boy was bright and funny and an aspiring writer. He could have a hard edge to him (sometimes I would have to remind him to watch his language when his mom and I were on the phone with him). But he also had this infectious laugh and disarming smile, and was the kindest, most caring person we knew. Many times he said he loved animals more than people for their sincerity and honesty. And his constant companion of the past 6 years, Stella, his beloved chiweenie, could attest to that. 
When Stephen loved you, he loved you all the way. And he loved you all so much: his grandparents, his aunts and uncles, his cousins, his friends, and his beloved Nikki. Family was everything to him, even from 3,000 miles away. The other day Linda and I were talking about how he was determined to continue the tradition of Sunday family dinners he’d grown up with. That was his plan.
He called us almost every day. Sometimes it was just to check in and say hello. He always wanted to know how grandma was doing. 
And he loved his sports. He loved the Knicks. He was excited about their new coach and stable of young players this season. And he loved the Yankees and Giants. When we could we would watch games together from opposite coasts. That was pretty cool. We would talk for hours on the phone about how both teams were doing. Actually the conversations about the Giants were pretty short these days. But it didn’t matter. It was that precious time we spent together that I will cherish most.
He would spend even more time on the phone with his mom talking about movies and music he loved so much. (Pg. 1)

I remember my time with Stephen at Holy Cross as Principal .  I enjoyed every one of our conversations and his warm , loving heart.. Rest In Peace. 
Mr. G 

OBITUARY

Stephen Edward Parisi

17 February, 1992 – 25 December, 2020

Beney Funeral Home

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