Steven Jeffrey Plunkett passed away comfortably and peacefully after a long, hard fought battle with multiple illnesses, surrounded by his loving children at his home in Niantic, CT on April 27, 2020 at the age of 67.
Steve is survived by his pride and joy, his children Taylor Dumas of Groton, CT and Dustin Plunkett of Niantic, CT, their spouses Brian Dumas and Rachel Plunkett, his sister Sandra Kelly of Niantic, CT, his brother Gary Linke of Cheshire, CT, numerous nieces and nephews, and his future granddaughter who will arrive in September 2020. He is predeceased by the love of his life, Donna, who passed away in 2009.
Steve was born on June 2nd, 1952 in Dayton, Ohio. He and his parents, Nancy and Howard Linke, relocated to Cheshire, CT at an early age. He graduated from Cheshire High School in 1970 and then went onto Southern Connecticut State University graduating in 1978. He married Donna in Cape Cod in 1980. They had their first child together, Dustin, in 1983, and their second, Taylor, in 1988. The family relocated to Niantic in 1989 where settled long-term. Steve was a very successful Senior Principal Scientist working at Pfizer, INC working in both IT and Comparative Medicine from 1989 until his retirement in 2008.
Steve was a devoted and passionate New York Yankees and New York Giants fan. He loved fishing in his younger years, blue crabbing down in the Fairhaven section of Niantic, living near the ocean, and vacationing on cruise ships where he would sit on the balcony and enjoy the sea breeze on his face. His dry, witty sense of humor lit up the room until the very end. He was a simple man, who could watch episodes of American Pickers for 23 hours a day, and spend the last hour of the day sleeping if he felt like it. As long as he had a McGriddle in the morning and ginger ale throughout the day, he was good to go.
As his health declined over the past 15 years, his children not only became his care takers, but also his best friends. They would share endless hours daily either sitting with him, speaking with him on the phone, and taking care of any need he had. He was extremely proud of his children - not only of who they became as adults, but with who they ultimately chose as life partners. In his last remaining years, he became very close with his son-in-law Brian, and his daughter-in-law Rachel, known to him only as “Mrs. P”. Steve was very excited to become a grandfather later this year, and his spirit and memory will live on through his children and future grandchildren.
Memorial services will be temporarily postponed to a later date due to COVID-19. A Celebration of Life will be held in the Niantic area in late summer or early fall. In lieu of flowers, a donation in Steve’s memory can be made to the American Kidney Fund at https://www.kidneyfund.org
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