Stephen Gardiner Morse passed away on April 13, 2026, from complications of Parkinson's disease.
Steve is survived by his beloved wife, Janice Klebes Morse; his son, Neil, and grandsons Jack and Will; his daughter, Lisa, her husband Steve, and their sons Myles and Max; his brother Kevin Morse; and his many nieces and nephews. He and Jan lived in Franconia and Littleton for 40 years.
Steve was an exceptionally loving, caring, and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He was always ready with a joke, a story, or a helping hand, and he had a remarkable ability to make the people around him feel welcomed, valued, and cared for.
Growing up in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, Steve was an altar boy, an Eagle Scout, and a camp counselor. He later served as a medic in the U.S. Army in Germany. He graduated from Plymouth State College where he also was a member of the collegiate ski team. After college, he began a long and successful career in sales. He was a salesman for Atomic Skis, sold retail computer systems, and the geographic data for many of the GPS systems which we now use daily. He frequently was the top salesman for his region.
Whether he was skiing, fishing, boating, windsurfing or any number of other sports, Steve shared his joy for all those experiences with family and friends. He always had that glimmer and sparkle in his eyes.
Steve and Jan spent many ski seasons traveling to Lake Tahoe, California, and Reno, Nevada, so they could spend time with their children and grandchildren. While there he spent many ski seasons at Squaw Valley/Palisades Tahoe where he enjoyed skiing and racing in the Far West Masters Race Program. In the 2014 -2015 ski season, he skied 83 days and logged 1,051,790 vertical feet.
In October of 2025, Steve and Jan moved to Nevada to be closer to family. It meant so much to both of them. Steve especially treasured visits with family, milkshake in hand, sharing the events of the day and listening to stories. These simple moments became some of the most meaningful of his life.
Growing up around Cannon Mountain, Neil and Lisa were proud to be known as “Steve's kids.” Steve's love of skiing also became a way for him to give back to his community. Steve founded the “Hopefuls” program with the Franconia Ski Club, giving nine- and ten-year-old children the opportunity to ski with him, a PSIA instructor, for a full season at Cannon Mountain. The program focused on experiencing the pure joy of skiing before moving on to the race program.
Steve's passion for helping young ski racers was reflected in his many years of involvement with the Franconia Ski Club, including two years as president.
Steve's family will celebrate his life with gatherings in New Hampshire and on Cape Cod. Invitations and details will be shared by email.
If you would like to share a photograph, story, or memory of Steve, please post it at stephengmorse.com or bring it to one of the services.
He loved life, he loved his family and friends, and he loved sharing it all with them. His was truly a life well lived.