Stephen Goeller

On the snowy morning of February 21, 2025, Stephen Goeller relinquished his almost two year

battle with pancreatic cancer and died peacefully in his home with his beloved wife Nadia (Sefein) by his side. It was a particularly fitting ending for a man whose greatest loves were the outdoors and his family and friends.

Pancreatic cancer was not Stephen’s first battle with this terrible foe. In his twenties, he contracted Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He underwent a successful bone marrow transplant at Milwaukee County Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and was healthy for many decades afterwards. His sister, Deirdre (Coon) was his donor and the two shared a special closeness all of their lives.

Stephen was born in Huntington Station, NY but grew up in Macedon, NY. After finishing high school, he enlisted in the navy for four years. He loved being on the water and enjoyed the ability to travel to places like Australia, India and Japan. Once he completed his service, he continued his education at SUNY Plattsburgh and RIT. He was employed at Xerox and remained there for 35 years, until his retirement.

An avid outdoorsman, Stephen loved to hunt and fish and was never happier than when he was out exploring and communing with nature. He could name almost any tree or bush when asked and loved puttering in his yard and garden. He enjoyed many hunting and fishing adventures in places that included Alaska and Idaho, Mexico and Cayman Islands and always marveled at the beauty of the world. Later he took up scuba diving, opening up a whole new universe. He was in awe of the beauty he experienced on trips to Turks and Caicos, Aruba, Mexico and Grand Cayman. In addition to his sporting adventures, Stephen also loved to travel the world with his wife Nadia. They visited many places around the world but favorites included Greece, Portugal, Russia and Aruba.

Stephen truly savored every moment of life and the people he loved. He was known for his kind and friendly manner, his love of dogs and animals of all kinds, his quick and easy smile, his love of mischief and his penchant for hugs. His wife, his friends and family were his greatest treasures and he adored them with all his heart.

Stephen is survived by his loving wife Nadia, brother Matthew, sister Deirdre, brothers-in-law Mark(Sefein) and Mike (Coon), sister-in-law Kathleen, niece Caitlin, nephews Ryan, Peter and Logan, grandniece Chloe, many cousins and a large and very treasured circle of friends whom he adored. He is predeceased by his parents, John and Rose Goeller and his sister, Maureen Goeller.

A celebration of Stephen’s life will be held in April. His family is extremely grateful for the love and care he received from all the doctors, nurses and practitioners at URMC, Wilmot Cancer Center and Hospice and would ask that you consider them if you would like to do something in Stephen’s honor. They would also ask that, as a tribute to Stephen, do a random act of kindness for someone today.