Stephen Cherubini

He always had a song in his head: when it came to music, he was a genius. And like many geniuses, his gift may have been a little quirky. A virtuoso at a young age, Stephen could play any stringed instrument you put in front of him and he taught guitar as early as high school. But what he really wanted was to reproduce the fullness of any music, be it Mozart or the Action News Jingle. He understood music theory on a different level. And he could swing a hammer with the best of them; a finish carpenter if there ever was one. When Stephen did something, he did it perfectly. His craftsmanship dated back to when he worked with his father building million-dollar sailboats. A party didn’t start until Stephen was there; he had that kind of presence. But he was never overbearing, just funny and confident. But his best times may have been carving up hairpin turns in his red fiat with the rag top down.

If he had a funny thought in his head, it was coming out of his mouth no matter what. Such is how it was when he met a girl named Linda through a mutual friend. He’d make a joke about her hair, make her laugh and win her heart. They’d share a 27-year marriage. He is survived by his brothers, John and Adam (Maria); his mother, Louise and nieces and nephews, Mary, Rachel, Gigi, Adam and Christian.

Come celebrate 59 great years Monday 10-noon at Sweeney Funeral Home, Beverly where there will be a noon service.