NORTH ADAMS, Mass. —  Mr. Stephen Allard Trudel of Florence, Mass., passed on into the Realm of Love & Light shortly after midnight on Tuesday, August 6, 2019.  

He was born in North Adams, Mass., on May 1, 1950. Mr. Trudel was beloved by his family and his chosen family of friends and community members in the Northampton area. He is survived to mourn his loss by his loving sisters and brothers: Samuel Trudel of Middlebury, Vt., Dorothy Lyn Trudel of Palm Coast, Fla., and his twin sister and brother Susan Marton of Martinsville, N.J., and David Trudel of Glens Falls, N.Y. He is also survived by his nieces and nephews:  Alyssa & Ryan Trudel; Jason, Joseph and Alexis Cenami; Jeremy, Emily, Samuel and Philip Marton; and Timothy Trudel and Larra Wallace. He was predeceased by his parents, Dorothy Jones Trudel and Albert F. Trudel.

Among his many community service commitments, Mr. Trudel was a board member of The Performance Project; a member of the musical a capella group, Green Street Brew; and a lifetime teacher and social worker. He is especially remembered for his creation of programs and intensive intervention work counseling men with domestic violence problems and was employed for years in the program MOVE (Men Overcoming Violence). He was a graduate of Williston Academy, Northampton, where he was honored with an "Award of Excellence" by the Williston Alumni Association in 2001. In 2002, he was given an "Outstanding Service to the Community" award by the Council of Social Agencies of Hampshire County (COSA).

Mr. Trudel graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, University Without Walls, Independent Major, with a B.A. cum Laude in 1985.  His areas of concentration were on Human Service, Gender Studies and Mental Health.

Growing up, Steve loved spending summers at their family place in Sunapee, N.H. He loved traveling to his sister Susan's home in New Jersey for Thanksgiving and visiting with his parents and family in Florida, and he also loved spending Christmas in Vermont at his brother Sam's home. His niece Alyssa shared many stories of the incredible celebrations that occurred for years and years. Those are special memories for the family.

Mr. Trudel and his cousin Rachel I. Branch of North Adams delighted in their Gallup ancestry. Both are direct descendants of Captain John Gallup, who arrived in Nantasket (now Hull), Mass., on the John & Mary on May 30, 1630.  Their great grandfather, Wm. Arthur Gallup, was treasurer and then president of Arnold Print Works.  Mr. Gallup's daughters, Dorothy (Gallup) Jones, who lived in Williamstown, and Marian (Gallup) Flood, who lived of North Adams, are Steve and Rachel's grandmothers. Over the years, Steve and Rachel planned Gallup gatherings, which included another local cousin, Deborah Coyne.

One of the very special gatherings was a Gallup family day in North Adams on Saturday October 25, 2008. The family spent the day touring Southview Cemetery, the Houghton Public Library, lunch at the Houghton Mansion, the North Adams Historical Society and then the historic Hillside Cemetery. The two cousins also attended several Gallup Family Association reunions in Ledyard, Conn. On Saturday, April 27, 2019, they topped off all their Gallup adventures spending the day at The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls, N.Y., to meet another cousin, its curator, Jonathan Canning. That day was a treasure, a very special day shared by all three cousins.

Of course, one could not finish sharing these memories without highlighting The Performance Project, "an arts, social justice and intergenerational mentoring program for youth, age 14-22." The program and the young people who are part of it just must be honored. Mr. Trudel's so-important work as a board member and his truly caring connection with the members are stellar accomplishments. It was another joyful day together at the Left-Wing BBQ on May 3, and then to go with him to the The Performance Project presentation in Holyoke on June 15. The performance that evening was awesome, stunning and spectacular.

Funeral notice: There will be a celebration of Mr. Trudel's life in Northampton, Mass., on Saturday, September 21, 2019. The family requests that contributions be made to The Performance Project, P. O. Box 1173, Northampton, MA 01060, in memory of Mr. Trudel. Burial at the historic Hillside Cemetery family plot in North Adams will be private.