To all of Steve’s friends,
A short time ago, Steve contacted me (Jimmy Dagon) regarding his funeral arrangements. We have been dear, dear friends for nearly 50 years and for many years lived right next door to each other in Hornell, NY. For about 25 years (until Steve retired and moved to Rochester) we got together every Wednesday evening to have a beer or two. I want to share with all of you the following message (in part) that I received from Steve:
Hi Jimmy,
Let me start by telling you that you are one of the dearest friends I have ever had. Thank you for everything you have ever done for me and especially for your unwavering love.
I am now in the process of entering Hospice. I’m comfortable, relatively pain free, in excellent spirits and ready for what the future holds.
Since you will be writing my obituary, I want to give you some information. You may use it any way you wish. You are the only person who will be writing my obituary.
First, just like Pati’s obituary — PLEASE KEEP IT SHORT! Pati & I both felt that anyone who knew us is aware of what we have done. If they didn’t know us they wouldn’t be reading the obituary in the first place.
The following was written by Steve:
Hornell — Chautauqua — Rochester
W. Stephen “Steve” Piper, 80, died peacefully early Monday morning (October 20, 2025) after a yearlong skirmish with esophageal cancer.
He was born on June 4, 1945 in Uniontown, PA to Warren and Rhoda (Nixon) Piper. On August 16, 1974 he was married to Patricia “Pati” (Lewis) Piper who predeceased him in 2022.
Pati & Steve were teachers at Hornell High school for over 35 years.
Steve was raised by amazing parents, married an amazing woman, taught amazing students, had amazing friends and relatives, spent 80 amazing summers at Chautauqua Institution, and, quite simply, lived an amazing life.
Always considering himself an overachiever, he cites his unwritten epitaph as:
“The average male life expectancy is 75.4 years. I made it to 80. I WIN!”
At Steve’s request there will be no calling hours or services.
Funeral arrangements are in care of the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY.
Steve requests that in lieu of flowers or memorial contributions, you spend an hour or so listening to classical music. Steve recommends the Mozart Requiem in D minor or Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor.
To leave an online condolence or share a memory, visit www.dagonfuneralhome.com or www.facebook.com/dagonfuneralhome.
I had his 6th-grade sex ed class back in 1980. We were wild. I’m so glad he didn’t die of embarrassment back then while reading our anonymous questions. RIP, I remember you fondly.
Mr. Piper was always Mr. Piper to me as well as Mr’s Piper was. A wonderful couple who lived and amazing lives. As he said, “He made it to 80”. HE REALLY DID WIN AND IN MANY WAYS.
Celebrating Life, a day at a time. Listening to Mozart Requiem in D as I process that my daughter’s cancer is terminal. Thank you Steve and Pati for your most excellent and extraordinary example of Celebrating Life, always!
It was such a privilege to have Mr. Piper as a teacher. If you were lucky enough to have an animated discussion with him about music, you would value every note you heard since. In this digital age, cassette tapes are a thing of the past. I have found myself unable to let go of precisely three life-changing mixed tapes, all made by extraordinary people. One of them was curated by Steve Piper, and that’s the memorial I’ll be listening to.
On behalf of all current and former members of the ROCHESTER ORATORIO SOCIETY, we send condolences for the sad passing of our dear friend, Steve Piper. Steve was such a loving supporter of Pati’s singing and membership in ROS. Steve also served as our stage manager for several years. They were such a loving couple and will be missed by all of us in ROS. May Steve rest in peace and now be with his dear Pati.
On behalf of the Alumni Association of the CLSC at Chautauqua, we would like to extend our deepest condolences to all of Steve’s family and friends. The picture of him in his top hat and coat tails was taken on a recent Recognition Day at CHQ. For years, Steve would don this outfit and joyfully help lead the Banner Parade as Bishop John Heyl Vincent. He would then take his post at the Golden Gate, welcoming another class of CLSC graduates into the fold. He is deeply missed.
Great teacher, glad to have known him and his wife. God bless them both!
Amazing sums it up. I was privileged to call Steve a colleague. He was a paragon of dedication to the craft of teaching. Steve’s most popular elective was “Health and Humanities”, a.k.a., the history of rock’n’roll, which considered the societal impact of music to 1969. He encouraged me to create a similar class considering more contemporary music and artists, and “Poetry of Music” was born, a class many former students mention when I encounter them. Thanks, Steve, for being an inspirational educator.