Stephen Pascal Forgione of Kingston, NY passed away at home on August 4, 2025. Steve was the beloved son of the late Mary and Pascal Forgione. Steve is survived by his brother Tom, his sister Elizabeth, his brother-in-law John, his niece Melissa, his great-niece Luisa, his great-nephew Harry, and his nephews Darren and Justin.
Steve was born in Queens, NY and moved to the Hudson Valley over 30 years ago. He shared his gifts with Ulster County Community Action, Samadhi and then Family of Woodstock which he joined about 8 years ago. At Family, he was a volunteer, a board member, a night shift worker on the crisis hotline, and finally the director of emergency housing.
Steve’s help was always grounded in a practical understanding of people’s lives. He was generous with his time and attention. He could be provocative in a way that was an invitation to engage with him. He got animated when he shared his love for, and deep knowledge of, jazz, literature, politics, philosophy, and film. His restless intelligence, curiosity and questioning nature added welcome depth and color to our lives.
He said he found his calling at Family talking to people who needed housing every night, assuring them we could help, and placing them in local motels. Before his shift, he would go to the garden at St. Gregory’s Church in Woodstock and meditate. He modeled for all of us who loved him that we could make things better.
You could say that he would light up a room. You could also say that he was a snappy dresser and looked good for his age. He covered a lot of miles on his bike and many people will miss catching sight of him and hearing his voice.
In the aftermath of Steve’s passing, his co-worker Patterson wrote these words which resonate with many of us:
I learned by watching him that
It is possible to be more loving
It is possible to do more good
It is always possible to question in a way that increases love
It is possible to give everything you have without making yourself any smaller.
A celebration of life service will be announced at a later date.
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