Stephen Mayo

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” — 2 Timothy 4:7-8 NASB

Stephen W. Mayo, age 83, of Hopkinton, passed away peacefully on July 16, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. He was the son of the late Everett Clark Mayo Jr. and Carlene (Wardwell) Mayo.

Born Dec. 23, 1941, in Newton, Stephen was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, mentor and friend. He was known for his unwavering faith, kindness, strength and deep love for his family. He shared a beautiful life with his wife of 61 years, Nancy, and together they built a home filled with love, laughter and faith.

He was the proud father of Rev. Dr. Stephen (and wife Debra) of Fitchburg, Sandra (predeceased), Christine (and husband Jeremy) Miller of Grafton, and Mark (and wife Deborah) of Buzzards Bay. Stephen was a loving grandfather to Cassandra (and husband Jared), Amber, Caitlin, Stephen Jr., Austin, Aiden, Christian, Annabella and Ashley.

Nothing made him happier than being surrounded by his family — whether it was a holiday meal, a quiet afternoon visit or cheering on the kids from the sidelines.

Throughout his life, the light and love of Jesus shined through all he did. He was an active member of Faith Community Church of Hopkinton and the Elm Street Community Church in Fitchburg, reaching out to people through hospital and home visits, food pantries, meal outreaches and youth ministry. He also was a founding board member of Shining Light Ministries in Fitchburg.

After graduating from UMass Amherst with a degree in business administration, he worked at 3M and General Motors (where he worked in workers compensation for 33 years) and was admired for his hard work, dedication and integrity. After retiring, he focused on family and ministry (through this spring).

Throughout his life, Stephen loved sports, especially running, softball and ice hockey. He played softball with the FCCH church team into his 70s. He also was a competitive runner, winning charity races into his 80s and running up through his diagnosis in May. These also were aways he ministered. His neighbors would see him running through the neighborhood with his Christian T-shirts.

More than anything, Stephen cherished his role as a loving husband, father and grandfather, taking every opportunity he could to coach his children and attend his grandchildren’s sporting events and other activities. He led by example — with humility, faith, hard work and gentle wisdom. His presence brought comfort and strength to those around him.

A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 25, at Faith Community Church, 146 East Main Street, Hopkinton, MA 01748 (doors will open at 9 a.m.). Burial will be private. Arrangements are under the care of the Chesmore Funeral Home of Hopkinton.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in his honor to Shining Light Ministries (where he was a founding board member) or the Ewings Sarcoma Foundation, Team Steve Mayo (special organization because his grandson Christian beat this cancer). Though he is no longer with us, his legacy of love, faith and quiet strength will live on in our hearts forever.

Obituaries are submissions, typically from funeral homes, that are not subject to the same level of editorial oversight as the rest of the Hopkinton Independent. Obituaries may be edited for grammatical and factual mistakes and clarifications and shortened for space considerations.