Steven M. Beringer

Steve was born in Brooklyn, NY to Harry and Theresa Beringer on November 15, 1954 in the middle of a snow storm. Or maybe it just lightly rained that day, Steve didn't mind a little creative license. His first friends were his brothers, Tommy and Drew - together they fished, boated, and biked all over Massapequa Park, Long Island. Steve went on to Iona College in New Rochelle, where he met the love of his life, Patricia Hayden, who was attending nursing school nearby. On their first date, he asked if she skied. When she replied she did not, he then spent the rest of their date talking about skiing. Somehow though, he got a second date. While in college, Steve lived above a fine establishment known as the Shabby Abbey, and worked at a Baskin Robbins - trading ice cream for sandwiches with a friend who worked at the sub shop down the street. With these auspicious beginnings, Steve and Patti married in 1977, settling first in nearby Massapequa where they started their family. Three children came - Marissa, Brian, and Timmy - and Steve moved the family to Harrington Park, New Jersey, as his hard work paid off and career grew. Steve worked in finance and sales over 30 years, 14 years at Travelers and 20+ at GE, helping to build their asset management business.

Harrington Park became home, and Steve a big part of the community. He was involved in every part of his children's lives, joyfully coaching dozens of teams and hundreds of HP kids. Together with his best friend and neighbor, Tom Oakley, he created the Oakinger Annual Ski Trip. What started in 1995 as 7 families grew close to 40 families over 6 years, and ended when real estate agents started advertising it as a town activity to families moving to HP. He organized countless camping trips to Lake George with family friends. Steve was always up with the sun, with a cup of coffee in hand, and ready to start water skiing as soon as anyone else awoke.

As the kids grew, Steve and Patti became avid sailers, traveling frequently to the British Virgin Islands and sailing the InterCoastal Waterway and Florida Keys when Steve retired. While he was a great Captain (we swear), there was always a story: anchors thrown without being cleated, wandering dinghys, malfunctioning autopilots, mysteriously appearing sandbars, and of course, there was that bridge he got stuck under in South Jersey (it was the Harbor Master’s fault, really). Steve and Patti retired to Florida, and had 8 wonderful years together there. Steve often said he felt like a kid again in retirement: riding his bike and sailing his boat every day, crabbing and fishing.

Steve was delighted to acquire two more daughters later in life, Megan Flood and Caroline Lee, the only two people who loved dessert as much as he did. And because of them, he was able to take on his greatest role: PaPaPa Bear to Hayden, Rhys, Sonny, and Baby B (coming later this March). He adored his grandsons, and the adventures they had together. Finally he had playmates again: from swimming to building bird houses to eating whip cream straight from the can, Steve always had fun plans for his “best boys.”

It’s our greatest sadness that so many of the plans he made for them won’t come to pass: skiing, sailing, and riding bikes together. To that end, in lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to St. Jude’s. It brought him pain to think that any child would suffer the same as he did. It would bring him great joy to know that children were being helped in his memory.

He was the greatest storyteller, the life of the party, a dedicated coach, a caring son, a boisterous brother, a loyal friend, a funny uncle, a loving husband, a legendary father, and a singular PaPaPa. His laughter was infectious. Fair winds and calm seas, Big Guy.