Steven Jay Willard

Steven Jay Willard, age 77, passed away on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at his home in Holbrook, Massachusetts. Born in Boston, Massachusetts on October 29, 1947, he was the eldest son of the late Sidney Van Voorhees Willard and Lois Arlene (Marvin) Willard. Steve was a lifelong resident of Holbrook and graduated from Holbrook High School with the class of 1965.

On June 30, 1965, Steve enlisted with the United States Navy, ready to serve his country. He was initially sent to the Great Lakes Naval Installation in Illinois for basic training along with his cousin Mike Hutson. The pair hoped to work together in nuclear operations, but Steve would end up training to become a Machinist's Mate Fireman, responsible for operating and maintaining the ships propulsion and auxiliary machinery. Steve was granted secret clearance upon completion of his training and served aboard the USS Pocono for two years, participating in operations in the Caribbean Sea until his honorable discharge on October 22, 1968. Upon his discharge, Steve took some time to travel, visiting friends in New Brunswick, Canada for several months before settling back home in Holbrook. He briefly worked for Trim Alloys in Randolph, Massachusetts, but found that ultimately unfulfilling. Unsure of what direction to take next in life, Steve held a variety of jobs including auto racing, renovating restaurants, as well as setting up and testing sound equipment for concerts and nightclubs.

In 1972, Steve accepted a position with Global Associates as a chief engineer at the Kwajalein Missile Range on the Kwajalein Atoll located in the Marshall Islands. Due to the nature of his work, and further secret clearance by the US Government, Steve never discussed much of his time there, except for one particularly interesting experience. Steve was part of the crew selected to work aboard the Tug LT-1967, which would accompany the body of Iroij Albert Loeak, one of the four Marshallese Kings of the Ralik Chain, as well as his entourage, from the Kwajalein Atoll to the king's home island of Ailinglapalap for burial. He always shared how he had heard that local legend said that when a king travelled, dolphins would escort him, and was amazed to find that during their travels between the islands, the dolphins actually did come and escort them! While sorting through paperwork after Steve's passing, his family found letters of commendation for his participation during this event from company managers as well representatives from the Army, thanking him for his commitment, hard work, and friendliness that furthered good relations between the US and the Marshallese people.

Steve worked for Global Associates until 1978 when his contract was completed. At this time he chose to return to Holbrook, finding work at Spencer Press in Hingham, Massachusetts as a bindery worker. He left Spencer Press in 1981 when he accepted a position at CPC in Randolph, working on drilling, routing, and inspecting circuitry boards. Steve later rose to the position of third shift supervisor, which he held until his early retirement in 1997.

Steve was a reserved, humble man who took pleasure in the simple things in life. To him, there was nothing better than relaxing with a bag of peanut M&M's, a Coca-Cola, and a pack of Camel's on the deck watching the chipmunks and birds at one of the many bird feeders he built over the years. Many afternoons were spent in his workshop building furniture, woodworking, and teaching his nieces and nephews how to use several types of saws and lathes. He was an avid history buff and loved genealogy, spending close to a decade researching his family legacy and tracing their roots back hundreds of years and across continents. This was a tremendous and tedious undertaking done well before the advent of the ancestry.com and its ilk, and without the help of the internet, and of which he was immensely proud. Steve also loved video games, adopting the hobby early on and introducing his family to a love of gaming. He collected all of the different platforms, from laser disc games and the commodore 64, from floppy discs for the pc to the GameCube, and even followed video games into the 21st century by heading online to play Call of Duty on the Xbox, a gift from his nephew for Christmas one year. Steve enjoyed building and painting model airplanes and cars, a hobby he shared with his father. He also enjoyed watching local sports and collecting sports memorabilia. He was an avid Topps trading card collector, collecting thousands of baseball, hockey, football, and basketball cards over the decades to leave his family to figure out what to do with.

Doting son of the late Sidney Van Voorhees Willard and Lois Arlene (Marvin) Willard.

Loving brother of Joan A. Shadrick and her husband Bruce of Brockton, and the late Peter A. Willard.

Cherished uncle of Derek Shadrick and his wife Heidi of East Bridgewater, Heather Simpson and her husband Bryan of Whitman, Melissa Willard of Walpole, Andrew Clinton of Mission Hill, Nicholas Clinton of Wenham, and the late Shon Shadrick; and great uncle of Abigail, Hanna, Finley, and Keegan.

Also survived by his sister-in-law Laura Willard and her husband Kenneth Clinton of Warren as well as extended relatives and friends.

At the request of Steve's family, all services will be private, with interment at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Steve's name may be made to the American Heart Association at PO Box 840692, Dallas, TX 75284-0692 or by visiting https://www.heart.org/ and selecting 'Donate'.

Arrangements by James H. Delaney & Son Funeral Home, Walpole.