Steven R. Fournier

Steven R. Fournier, age 60, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Tuesday, November 26, 2019 in the company of his loving family.

Steve was born to Robert and Dina Fournier on September 24, 1959 in Teaneck, NJ. The family lived in Kinnelon before moving to Wayne when he was 10 years old. He was the oldest of three sons, survived by his brothers Paul and Dave. Steve attended Wayne Hills High School, graduating with the class of 1977.

After high school, Steve enlisted in the United States Coast Guard where he served proudly as a cook, stationed in San Francisco, until his honorable discharge. Subsequent to his service, he attended Ramapo College in New Jersey where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. Following a brief career in accounting, he went to work for the family business, American Belting Inc. When the business came under new ownership, Steve left and earned a position as a sales representative at Motion Industries, based out of Cedar Rapids, IA. He remained there through the rest of his career, ultimately earning the title of Vice President of Sales.

In 1985, while at a family wedding, Steve met the love of his life Audrey Moore. They spent the night dancing, after which he asked her on a date the following day. They went to the Fulton Fish Market at South Street Seaport in New York City. The couple started dating immediately and after three years, as fate would have it, they were married on July 31, 1988. The couple immediately settled in Wayne and have been there ever since, calling it home and raising their two children Allison and Andrew.

Steve was a dedicated member and former Commissioner of Wayne PAL Football and  also served as President of the Wayne Valley Football Booster Club. He had a great love of sports and, despite being a dedicated New York Giants and New York Mets fan, his absolute favorite sporting events to attend were those of his children. He was the biggest fan of his son and daughter, never missing a single one of their games or events at school. Instead of a Giants jersey, you would have been more likely to find him in a Marymount lacrosse T-shirt or TCNJ track and field sweater. Another one of Steve’s favorite pastimes was sailing, or anything salt water related for that matter. A true waterman, he owned a home in Seaside Park, NJ, where he and his family spent their summers boating, fishing, cooking, having bonfires on Island Beach State Park, and enjoying the summer air — traditions that are sure to be continued in his honor. His favorite place to be in the world was on the waters around the British Virgin Islands with his family and friends. Over the years, they chartered multiple catamarans — all of which he captained — to island-hop and explore the paradise that is the BVI.

Steve was an outstanding cook — a “self-proclaimed Master Chef.” He treasured hosting parties and thrived on laughter, friends, family, and good country music. It should come as no surprise that Steve’s favorite holiday was always Thanksgiving. He has hosted for the past thirty-two years and would plan meticulously for weeks in advance, deciding on turkey brines, porchetta dressings, and side dishes for the table. However, he was never averse to some last-minute inspiration. He called these his “experiments.” Although these dishes were often incredibly delicious, they rarely could be recreated.    

Anyone who had the honor of knowing Steve Fournier knew how hard he worked and that he worked so hard in order to enjoy time with his family and friends. Although he had a great many talents and interests, his greatest passion was for his family. Nothing in the world meant more to Steve than spending time with them. He was a truly dedicated father and husband. He and his wife Audrey cherished a uniquely loving and loyal marriage, one that lasted thirty-one years. He was a man that was larger than life and one that you could not help but like and want to be around. He was a gentle giant; “Big Steve” was endlessly generous and had a great talent for turning every situation into a good time. He was a friend to everyone he met, and many would name him among their top five favorite people. Steve touched the lives of too many people to count and will be sincerely missed by everyone who knew him.

Steve is survived by his wife Audrey (née Moore) of Wayne; his daughter Allison Fournier of Wayne; his son Andrew Fournier of Wayne; two brothers, Paul Fournier of Forked River and David Fournier and his wife Tracey of Toms River; his parents Dina and Robert Fournier of Forked River; nieces Lauren Holtz and Nicolette Fournier; nephews Brian Miller, Matthew Grundy, Dawson Fournier, and Marco Fournier; his mother-in-law Gloria Moore of Pompton Plains; and two sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Barbara and Bill Grundy of Ridgewood, and Susan and Joseph Miller of Farmingdale.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Steve’s name may be made to Friends of Island Beach State Park, PO Box 406, Seaside Park, NJ 08752 https://www.friendsofibsp.org/donate or ReClam the Bay, 68 Main St, Waretown, NJ 08758 http://www.reclamthebay.org/what-you-can-do/donate/