Obituary for Gregory Szok
Gregory John Szok, 55, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family, of lung cancer on January 28, 2020 at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center (SNHMC).
Greg was born on July 3, 1964 in Syracuse, New York. He moved to New Hampshire with his family in 1969, attending local schools in Brookline and Hollis where he made many lifelong friends. Greg graduated from Hollis Area High School in 1982 and attended the University of New Hampshire, where he majored in Forestry. Growing up in Brookline, Greg loved spending time outdoors and enjoyed cross- country skiing, hiking, camping, canoeing, skating, and swimming. Greg was passionate about iceboating, and in winter months was generally prepared to discuss the ice conditions on Winnipesaukee with minimal prompting. A highly skilled builder and woodworker, Greg got a kick out of telling how his carpentry training began at age nine “when my Mom taught me how to use the Skilsaw.” An avid reader of classics from the Iliad to Hemingway, Greg especially loved science fiction but also enjoyed reading books on diverse topics, such as philosophy and natural history, about which he could converse proficiently at length.
Greg is survived by his mother, Beverly Payeff-Masey; his father and stepmother, George and Debbie Szok and their daughters Katie Hardy and Emily Carlson; his daughter, Zoe Szok; his son and daughter-in-law, Duncan and Rylee Szok; his grandson, Jackson Szok (“Young Hickory”); his sister and brother-in-law, Samantha and Joshua Fernatt; his niece, Lili Fernatt; his aunt and uncle, Barbara and John Duncan; his cousins, Alison Duncan Downey, Chandler Duncan, and Colin Duncan; his dear friend, Wendy Lepine; his children’s mother, Anna Rorabacher Szok; and by all those who knew and loved this independent, adventurous, strong, stubborn, and generous man. Greg’s family would like to express our gratitude to the ICU staff at SNHMC for their compassionate care of Greg and their kindness to us as we gathered to see him through the final leg of his journey on this earth. Greg’s gentle soul has been reunited at last with his late sister, Susanna Szok; infant brother, Gordon Szok; paternal grandparents, Wojciech and Natalia Szok; maternal grandparents, John and Evelyn Duncan; and his sweet dog, Bear.
A celebration of Greg’s life is planned for July 2020. In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring Greg’s memory by making a charitable donation to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the Nature Conservancy, or the American Cancer
Society.
Greg was born on July 3, 1964 in Syracuse, New York. He moved to New Hampshire with his family in 1969, attending local schools in Brookline and Hollis where he made many lifelong friends. Greg graduated from Hollis Area High School in 1982 and attended the University of New Hampshire, where he majored in Forestry. Growing up in Brookline, Greg loved spending time outdoors and enjoyed cross- country skiing, hiking, camping, canoeing, skating, and swimming. Greg was passionate about iceboating, and in winter months was generally prepared to discuss the ice conditions on Winnipesaukee with minimal prompting. A highly skilled builder and woodworker, Greg got a kick out of telling how his carpentry training began at age nine “when my Mom taught me how to use the Skilsaw.” An avid reader of classics from the Iliad to Hemingway, Greg especially loved science fiction but also enjoyed reading books on diverse topics, such as philosophy and natural history, about which he could converse proficiently at length.
Greg is survived by his mother, Beverly Payeff-Masey; his father and stepmother, George and Debbie Szok and their daughters Katie Hardy and Emily Carlson; his daughter, Zoe Szok; his son and daughter-in-law, Duncan and Rylee Szok; his grandson, Jackson Szok (“Young Hickory”); his sister and brother-in-law, Samantha and Joshua Fernatt; his niece, Lili Fernatt; his aunt and uncle, Barbara and John Duncan; his cousins, Alison Duncan Downey, Chandler Duncan, and Colin Duncan; his dear friend, Wendy Lepine; his children’s mother, Anna Rorabacher Szok; and by all those who knew and loved this independent, adventurous, strong, stubborn, and generous man. Greg’s family would like to express our gratitude to the ICU staff at SNHMC for their compassionate care of Greg and their kindness to us as we gathered to see him through the final leg of his journey on this earth. Greg’s gentle soul has been reunited at last with his late sister, Susanna Szok; infant brother, Gordon Szok; paternal grandparents, Wojciech and Natalia Szok; maternal grandparents, John and Evelyn Duncan; and his sweet dog, Bear.
A celebration of Greg’s life is planned for July 2020. In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring Greg’s memory by making a charitable donation to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the Nature Conservancy, or the American Cancer
Society.