FITCHBURG — A vaccine clinic in Fitchburg will honor a Leominster resident who labored within the well being departments in each cities and unexpectedly died final month.
Be PAWsitive Remedy Pets, Pals of Fitchburg DOGS Inc. and Second Probability Animal Providers are sponsoring the low-cost clinic from 9 am to midday Oct. 1 on the Fitchburg Fireplace Division headquarters, 33 North St.
The clinic is devoted to Jeffrey Stephens, 50, who died Aug. 11 after struggling an aneurysm in his spleen.
“He fought long and hard however his physique was simply too drained,” Stephens’ spouse, Deana, wrote on a GoFundMe web page elevating cash for his hospital payments. “He was surrounded by his household. He touched so many lives and helped so many individuals. Your assist has proven simply how a lot. Thanks from the underside of my coronary heart. Till we meet once more my love, you’ll be in my coronary heart ceaselessly.”
“Jeff organized the primary clinic in 2011 with our volunteers,” stated Sally Cragin, director of Be PAWsitive and a Fitchburg metropolis councilor. “He had needed a pet vaccine clinic in Fitchburg for a few years, and put all of the personnel collectively.”
Vaccines for DA2PP (canine) and FVRCP (cats) can be found at no cost, whereas rabies vaccines can be found for $18 every and microchips for $22 every. Advance registration and prepayment, if wanted, are required by visiting the Second Probability Animal Providers web site, secondchanceanimals.org.
In response to Cragin, a donation basket will probably be out there on the Oct. 1 vaccine clinic to supply monetary help for the training of Stephens’ youngsters, Peter and Bridget.
Donations to the Stephens Kids Schooling Fund will also be made by mailing a verify payable to Deana Stephens to c/o Vinny Miola, 1 Amber Highway, Westminster, Mass., 01473.
An ‘incomparable’ man
When he died, Stephens was about to wrap up his first 12 months as Leominster’s director of public well being. That adopted 4 years as well being director in Westford, two years because the city’s director of environmental providers and 15 years because the code enforcement agent in Fitchburg.
“He didn’t work for the town of Leominster for all that lengthy … however his impression right here was felt by many,” Metropolis Council President David Cormier stated on the first council assembly after Stephens’ loss of life. “In that quick period of time he was very, very, very proud to work for the town of Leominster. As quickly as he started working right here, he instructed everybody that this, this was the place for him. This was the place he needed to in all probability finish his profession.
“He was very completely happy right here, he was proud to work right here and that satisfaction was seen by many who he labored with every single day,” Cormier continued. “I definitely had just a few dealings with him since he is been with the town, and (he) was very great to work with. And he’ll be an amazing loss to the town of Leominster.”
Cragin referred to as Stephens, “incomparable, relentlessly succesful, completely hilarious and reliable … I realized so much from him about public well being, additionally geology. I by no means had a dialog with him the place I wasn’t sooner or later or one other weak with laughter. He was a very good pal, a outstanding public servant and a pleasure to spend time with.”
For the love of hockey
Leominster Councilor Pauline Cormier stated she knew about each Stephens’ work in Fitchburg and his love of hockey, on the ice and on the street.
“He was the consummate skilled,” Cormier stated. “He cherished his work. He was very devoted to his work. The town goes to overlook out on having an amazing chief right here within the metropolis, however I can let you know the way in which he was together with his work was the way in which he was with each facet of his life. Nice household man, devoted to his children, devoted to the game.”
Stephens performed and coached at each Leominster’s deck hockey middle, which sits alongside Route 2, and the Fitchburg Road Hockey league. In Leominster, he was additionally a keen mentor for youthful coaches.
“He did every little thing we ever requested of him to do,” Cormier stated. “He would take youthful coaches below his wing and information them up. The best way he lived his on a regular basis life exterior of labor, and together with his work, I feel the town itself goes to overlook it. I do know I can converse for myself and lots of people from hockey that already miss him dearly.”
‘Arms-on’ method
Stephens graduated from Fitchburg Excessive College in 1990, the place he ran observe and discipline and was inducted into the FHS Athletic Corridor of Fame. He earned his bachelor’s diploma in biology and environmental science from Fitchburg State College in 1996.
Councilor Susan Chalifoux Zephir, who stepped down within the spring as government director of Ginny’s Serving to Hand and Meals Pantry in Leominster, concurred that Stephens was each useful {and professional}, particularly through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He was very a lot hands-on, on the market speaking to companies, serving to folks, offering COVID check kits once we could not get any — and we had folks lined up at our door across the holidays — check kits, KN-95 masks ,” Chalifoux Zephir stated. “He was an actual massive assist. And he provided that form of assist. I did not should chase him.
“After we ran out of the preliminary provide of check kits, we nonetheless had individuals who actually wanted them,” she added. “Any time I referred to as him up, he was very, very responsive, very responsive, and instantly provided help. And if he did not have what we would have liked, he went elsewhere to search for it.”
Invoice Brady, Ward 1 councilor and proprietor of Brady’s Restaurant in downtown Leominster, stated Stephens left massive footwear to fill.
“We’re going to miss him,” Brady stated, “and hopefully the folks that are available in his footsteps can have the foresight to companion with folks,” like Stephens did.
This text initially appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Vaccine clinic to honor longtime well being skilled Jeffrey Stephens
