A jazzy farewell at Pilgrim Park for Stephen Van Esen
May 26, 2022 | By Cheryl Casey | Correspondent 
Family and friends of Stephen Van Esen, the longtime Waterbury resident and real estate developer who passed away at age 85 in December, gathered on Saturday at Pilgrim Park to commemorate his life with a New Orleans-style jazz parade, refreshments, and fond memories.
Maple Leaf Seven, a traditional jazz and classic swing band from St. Johnsbury, formally kicked off the event with boisterous tunes and a parade that took marchers across the train tracks, around Rusty Parker Memorial Park, and back again to Pilgrim Park.
Some of the 80 or so in attendance wore Mardi Gras beads, masks, and crowns, while others carried parasols. According to guitarist and band manager, Phil Brown, “This event was four years in the making. [Steve] wanted this and was planning it all along.”
Van Esen’s daughter, Jenny Evjen, who lives in Hermantown, Minnesota, led the parade with her sons following closely behind, pulling a Radio Flyer wagon decked out with balloons and a caricature drawing of Van Esen bearing the Superman “S” on his chest.
The likeness was drawn by one of Van Esen’s fondest friends, Jenny said, Finton O’Hare from White Plains, New York, who attended the Saturday event. “Steve lived over Finton’s family’s bar at one point,” she recounted.
Along with jazz music, crudité platters, and drinks provided by Zenbarn, the memorial featured one of Van Esen’s very favorite foods: raw oysters served on the half shell.
The location of the gathering also held special meaning. Along with late business partner Ed Steele, Van Esen was instrumental in developing Pilgrim Park and bringing Green Mountain Coffee Roasters to settle and grow there in Waterbury.
Van Esen was active in many areas of community life, as evidenced by the range of speakers during the service. From Town Manager Bill Shepeluk and members of the Waterbury Historical Society and Rotary Club to employees from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, tenants, and childhood friends from White Plains, guests told hilarious, poignant, and touching tales of Van Esen’s vision for Waterbury, devotion to his family, and generosity to all those who crossed his path.
Rotarian John Malter recalled “how happy [Steve] was on his tractor doing things that added to the beauty of the community,” pointing to the hillside of daffodils Van Esen planted behind the former Coffee Roasters facility.
In closing his remarks, long-time friend Paul Willard invoked a quintessential Van Esen phrase: “Toodles, my friend.”
Correspondent Cheryl Casey teaches communication at Chaplain College and is president of the Waterbury Historical Society.