Stephen A. Tirrell of Halifax, on Tuesday, May 19th, loving husband and father said good-bye for the final time at the too young age of 69.
Steve was born in Brockton to James V. (Vic) and Dorothea (Gould) Tirrell. He was raised in Whitman and graduated from Whitman-Hanson Regional High School, Class of 1968. During his high school years, Steve loved and excelled at sports, playing football, basketball and baseball.
After high school, Steve painted houses with his dad and fell in love with street racing. He was the proud owner of a decked out 1954 yellow Studebaker truck and raced the quarter mile whenever he could.
On March 7, 1970, during the total solar eclipse, he married the love of his life, Phyllis Nagel. Their love story lasted more than 50 years and together they raised two children, Steve and Jennifer Tirrell, in Whitman.
Over the years, he loved camping, boating, teaching water-skiing and riding his Harley. More than that though, he loved his friends through thick and thin, they were always willing to help with new projects - be it painting, moving or fixing his latest machine project. He was truly thankful for all of them, but particularly Charlie Bosworth, Skip Merrick, Ricky Randall and Steve Madden.
Other than his family (which, of course, included all of his dogs) and friends, he loved his 1962 roman red corvette that he bought and tenderly restored in 1985. He also loved and took great pride in the historic cupola that his friend Skip Merrick found, rebuilt and installed on his garage in Halifax.
Steve was employed by Coburn Wilbert Vault Company of Whitman for approximately eighteen years, working as the Forman for fourteen of those years. He left Coburn in 1989, when he and his brother Robert (Bob) both started their respective dump trailer businesses. He moved his home and business to Halifax in 2006. Though he retired in 2015, he was rarely idle and never alone. If it wasn’t one of his good friends stopping by, you could always count on his best dog, be it “Moochie” or now Gracie being by his side or in his golf cart with him.
Steve will not be alone and will join his father and his beloved mother, his brothers Charles of Texas, Robert (Bob) of Halifax, Massachusetts and Bruce of Maine, all who preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife Phyllis; his son Steve and his wife Peggy and his grandchildren Kara and Zachary all of Medfield; and his daughter Jennifer Tirrell and granddaughter Shayna Champignie, both of Whitman.
To those who knew and loved him, he will be remembered as a stubborn, funny, proud smart ass who was always right and who you knew would be there for you no matter what. For those who knew him, but never reached his inner circle, well, in the immortal words of Bobby Knight, he would want you to know, “When my time on earth is gone, and my activities here are passed. I want them to bury me upside down and my critics can kiss my ass.”
A private graveside service will be held at Colebrook Cemetery in Whitman where he will be laid to rest next to his mother and father.