Stephen Eastman Root Jr., 88, died Sept. 5, 2024, at his home in Guilford. He is survived by his wife, Dixie (Johnson) Root.

Stephen was born June 21, 1936, in Concord, New Hampshire, to Stephen Eastman Root, Sr. and Ellen Griffin Root. He grew up in Concord and graduated from Proctor Academy in Andover, New Hampshire, in 1953. He served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force, last stationed at Ethan Allen Air Force Base in Winooski, Vermont, and was honorably discharged in 1958 with the rank of staff sergeant. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1961.

Stephen and Dixie met in Boston at The Bull & Finch Pub, where Dixie was playing piano and Steve struck up a conversation. They married Feb. 28, 1970, in Dixie’s childhood home in Ft. Thomas, Kentucky. They had two children, Jonathan Quinby and Lizabeth Walden, and lived together in Montreal, Quebec, Concord and Amherst, New Hampshire, Ft. Thomas, and Guilford since 1984.

Stephen worked for Keystone Mutual Funds in Boston and Montreal, Fifth/Third Bank in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Union Trust Bank in New Haven. He also became a licensed real estate agent and retired as a taxpayer representative with the IRS.

Stephen had many pursuits in life – tennis, skiing, cribbage, putting mint jelly on his lamb chops, painting, speaking Russian, family ancestry, quoting Confucius – but enjoyed being with his family and friends most of all, a trait clear to anyone fortunate enough to bask in his radiant smile.

In addition to his wife, Stephen is survived by his sons, Stephen Eastman Root III and Jonathan Quinby Root, and Jonathan’s wife, Melissa; his daughters, Amy Luka, her husband Richard, and Lizabeth Gagnon, and her husband Scott; his 10 grandchildren, Stephen E. Root IV, Katelyn Root, Edward Luka, Andrew Luka, Madeleine Root, Aidan Root, Allison Root, Erin Root, Faith Gagnon and Josh Gagnon; and many nieces and nephews.

Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, at the Guilford Funeral Home, 115 Church St., Guilford. A private reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Special Olympics, support.specialolympics.org. Arrangements are in care of Guilford Funeral Home. To share a memory or leave condolences, please visit www.guilfordfuneralhome.com.