Stanley Stephen Tworig, III passed away Sunday October 22, 2017 at Dartmouth Hitchock Medical Center in Lebanon New Hampshire after a 6 week battle with a rare form of melanoma.

Steve, as he was known to his family, friends, and colleagues was born in North Adams on March 1, 1961, son of Stanley Stephen Tworig, Jr of Stamford, VT and his mother Julia Molloy Tworig, who passed away March 1, 2002. He attended St. Joseph Central High School in Pittsfield and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and a Minor in Art from North Adams State College.

Steve lived an energetic and diverse life, fully committed to any project, cause, or task he was involved with. For many years he was a Landscape Contractor at North Branch Landscape, a business he started in 1986 with his wife and partner, Pamela Meisberger Tworig. A tiny business, begun with one piece of equipment, grew into a well-known nursery in Stamford Vermont, landmarked with the flag painted on their barn after 911. The painting of this flag was a simple, but by no means solitary expression of his fierce patriotism.
During the years that Steve was actively involved in the business, it was not uncommon to see the red North Branch Landscape vehicles, with their signature maple-leaf logo, on large scale commercial projects, as well as at residential and neighborhood properties. No job, large or small was completed with any less attention and skill than the other. Throughout his entire working career he was well known and respected for his extremely strong work ethic.

He was a past President of both the Vermont Association of Professional Horticulturalists and New England Nursery Association. He was a certified arborist by the International Society of Arboriculture and also held a certification in Tree Risk Assessment. In 1997 he was the esteemed New England Nursery Association Young Nursery Professional of the Year.

His love for growing and cultivation was fostered at a very young age when he worked under the tutelage of his beloved grandfather and namesake, Stanley Stephen Tworig, known to many as “Twiggy”. Stephen spent his teenage summers working on the grounds of Taconic Golf Course learning the art of greenskeeping and irrigation, as well as serving as a caddy. Steve’s grandfather taught him to tie flies and fly- fish the streams of the Berkshires, hence his nickname “Trout”.

His first full time position after college graduation was as the Superintendent of the North Adams Country Club, where he strived to create a course equal to the quality of his Grandfather’s greens and fairways at Taconic. Many golfers over the years have said that the greens never looked better than when Steve worked at NACC.

Steve was an avid fisherman and hunter, never happier than when he was in the woods with his wife and son Stephen. He hunted Moose, Caribou, Deer and one never knew whether Steve, Pam or Steve IV would bring down the trophy specimen in any given season. The family that hunts and fishes together stays together, and there was no stronger bond imaginable than the Tworig trio.

He was passionate about growing things; trees from seedlings; perennials, shitake mushrooms; the best, sweetest, and largest blueberries in the area; along with a multitude of succulent vegetables. He tapped maple trees and made North Branch Maple Syrup for many years. Little brought him more joy than driving through the Berkshires and seeing trees that he planted twenty years ago thriving, and knowing they would outlive him.

When his son Stephen was born in 1995 no man could have been more blessed to be a father. Steve’s world changed the day he became a dad and “Little Steve” as he is fondly called by his family learned the art of sportsmanship and the skills of hunting and fishing at a very early age. Steve IV also developed an interest in a variety of different sports as do many young boys. In addition to joining the ranks of dads cheering from the sidelines, Steve worked hard and was passionately invested in cultivating a positive sports experience for the youth in the local area. He served on the board of the North Adams Little League and was a President of the North Adams Babe Ruth organization. He volunteered to assist and support in any capacity where his dedication and time could be useful to any team or league.

When he was unable to continue his active involvement in the landscaping business, he focused on honing the many artistic skills and talents he possessed, and set out to learn a new repertoire of creative endeavors. Steve was an incredibly talented artist. He excelled at nature photography, drew and painted amazing works of art on a variety of medium, learned how to forge metal and made knives. He so looked forward to having more time to further develop his talents and learn all that he could before his life was tragically cut short.

Three years ago, he found a new best friend. “Cash”, a handsome Black Labrador Retriever became his constant companion and the two learned and excelled at the sport of Dock Diving. From the day Cash joined the family, with the exception of his brief trip to doggie reform school, Steve and Cash were inseparable. In 2016 they traveled to Dubuque, Iowa and took 2nd place in the World Dock Diving Competition for the Iron Dog Warrior class.

Steve entered the hospital on September 12 and his devoted wife and son never left his side. Steve’s doctor told Pam that he was “The strongest man she ever had the privilege of treating.” Whenever Steve took on a task or faced a challenge he gave his all. He never did anything half way and strived to excel. Facing death may have been his greatest hurdle, and although melanoma took his life, it did not diminish his spirit or reduce his courageous efforts in any way.

Steve had an unwavering faith in God and lived his life as a kind, generous man, embodying the definition of Christianity. He was blessed with the peace and comfort of knowing he would spend eternity wrapped in the loving arms of Jesus and would be greeted at Heaven’s gates by his mother, mother-in-law Mary Ann Mesiberger, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousin Michael.

He is survived by his wife of 31 years, the former Pamela Meisberger, whom he married June 14, 1986; his son Stanley Stephen Tworig IV; his dad Stanley Steven Tworig Jr., his sister Susan Tworig Cross and her husband Corky Cross of Adams; two brothers, Jim Tworig and his wife Becky; John Tworig and Kimberly Tworig from Delaware; his Aunts Irene McHarg, Mary Molloy and Rosalie Tworig; his Uncle Pat Anderson; His father-in-law Ray Meisberger, and his brother and sister-in-law Andrew and Courtney Meisberger. He will be missed by his nephews Walter and Wesley Pecor, Justyn, Conner and Brandon Tworig, Joshua Tworig; and his nieces Shannon and Maggie Meisberger, and Katelyn Tworig. He adored a spirited great-niece, Julianna Pearl Chappell Pecor who loved her uncle (along with his his blueberries). Steve also leaves a contingent of cousins from the Anderson, Lamont, Molloy, Rinaldi, and Tworig familes.

Steve was predeceased by his mother, Julia Molloy Tworig; grandparents Stanley and Bernice Tworig; James and Julia Molloy; Mother-in-Law Mary Ann Meisberger, and his cousin Michael Rinaldi.
He will always be remembered by a community of friends, former colleagues, and of course, his best friend “Cash”.
Funeral notice: The funeral will be held on Saturday, October 28, 2017, with a Liturgy of Christian Burial at 9:30 a.m. at the St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish at 25 Hoosac St. Adams, MA. Burial will follow at Millard Cemetery in Stamford, VT following the Mass. Calling hours are Friday, October 27, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Flynn Dagnoli West Chapel, 521 West Main St. North Adams, MA. Pam and Stephen request that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Pop Cares or Ducks Unlimited through the funeral parlor. To add to the Book of Memories, please visit www.flynndagnolifuneralhomes.com.