Obituary of Joseph John Stevens

Joseph John “Joe” Stevens, 61, of Moser River, Nova Scotia, passed away December 8th, 2023, with family at his side. He was a good-natured, perceptive, and impish man, who was always willing to help. Born on December 17th, 1961 in Musquodoboit Harbour to Roscoe and Delilah Stevens (Mason), Joe was the 10th of 12th children. Blessed with an incredibly long memory, his childhood was never far from his mind: from picking blueberries with his mother on the way to school to ice skating with his siblings (as well as digging holes in the ice to trip them). In his younger years, he worked several jobs such as an offset printer, “junkyard dog,” and firefighter. He recalled the memory of carrying the heavy backpack pump through a forest fire, “squirting” water into the huge flames around him. Joe met his future-wife, Michele Stevens (Singer), in 1985 and shared 38 years of friendship, perseverance, and love together. They were married November 27th, 1999, at their home in Moser River. Joe had two children, Fawn Stevens and Quen Hynes (Singer), both of whom he was very proud of. Known as “Yeahdad,” he delighted in hosting bonfires and exploring the woods with his grandchildren, Michael and Lillian Hynes. He was the provider for his family and held many jobs throughout his life to support them, including as a sand blaster and painter, a clam digger (like his father before him), a silviculturist, and most recently, as a geotechnician, retiring in the summer of 2022. He was an avid recycler and never failed to count his refundable bottles in multiples of 20 (to save time for both himself and the sorters). Joe was an experienced handyman, especially adept at carpentry and car mechanics. He was clever, insightful, and resourceful. He was an avid outdoorsman and had countless adventures in the wilds of Nova Scotia with his family, teaching them about foraging and survivalism. In his later years, he became interested in geology and enjoyed identifying the different minerals in the rocks he discovered during his travels. Giving up didn’t come easy to him, and he can be remembered with his oft-repeated advice: “trying was never beat.” Although Joe has left his Earthly existence behind, his actions and intentions exist forever. You can find him in the sound of a loon call, in the taste of roasted peanuts, or the smell of the ocean from the beach. Joe is survived by wife Michele Stevens, children Fawn Stevens and Quen Hynes (Joey), grandchildren Michael and Lillian Hynes, and siblings Anthony (Ruby), Jimmy (Janie), Mary, Percy, Elmer, Doreen (Barry), Brenda (Gerry), and Edward “Eddie” Stevens. He was preceded in death by his parents Roscoe and Delilah Stevens and siblings Charlie and Raymond Stevens, and Sandra “Sam” Stevens-Craig (Dave). He was a great man and will be missed very much by very many. Cremation has taken place. No funeral will be held at Joe’s request. Memories of Joe as well as condolences to the family can be shared online at www.crowellsfuneralhome.ca