Stephen Gerard Farenga
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Published in January 2020
Stephen Gerard Farenga, born in the Bronx on April 11, 1964, was the youngest son of Pat and Kay Farenga, and brother to Philip, who passed away in June 2019, and Patrick. When he was 1 year old the family moved to Greenburgh. He was educated at Our Lady of Mount Carmel elementary school in Elmsford, and Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx. He attended Georgetown University until he was severely injured in a mugging near the campus. Rather than return after his convalescence, he tried a variety of jobs but his favorite, and longest lasting, was a volunteer position as DJ and music director for the noncommercial radio station WDFH-FM in Dobb’s Ferry. He was married for several years beginning in 1991, and during that time he worked as store manager for Egghead Software in Greenburgh. After his divorce, he found a job in printing and by 1998 he was working for Quad Graphics in Manhattan. He stayed with Quad for 17 years, serving as the printing sponsor for several clients including Harper’s, Details, and W magazines.
Steve met the love of his life, Alisa Golden, at Quad in 1999. In 2015, they eloped to New Mexico and got married.
Steve enjoyed his enduring interests in history, politics, cartooning, and rock music. He was a devoted animal lover all his life and volunteered at the Elmsford Humane Society. Under the pen name SteveStrummer he was an avid contributing editor to Wikipedia for more than 10 years, with a focus on French and British history. Steve lived in his favorite place, Tarrytown, since 2000. He was diagnosed with ALS in April 2015 and was an inspiration to all who met him as he bravely adapted to his declining health over the years.
Though ALS took away Steve’s physical abilities, including speech, his brain was not affected, and he mastered the difficult technique of using his eyes to control a computer so he could write and edit articles, emails, texts, and hold conversations. His eloquence and thoughtfulness were profound despite having no voice. Steve’s joy and playfulness never left him and he enjoyed making and hearing jokes and pranks, sharing music and videos, and being in the company of his friends and family. Steve passed away from complications arising from ALS. He is survived by his wife, Alisa, his parents Pat and Kay Farenga, and his brother Patrick. He was predeceased by his brother Philip.
Visitation will be at Coffey Funeral Home on Sunday from 2PM to 6PM. His Funeral Mass will be on Monday at 11:00 at Transfiguration Church in Tarrytown followed by interment in Ferncliff Cemetery.
Steve requested flowers or donations to CCALS in his memory. The staff of these organizations were very helpful to Alisa and Steve as they handled the various stages of ALS. CCALS staff supports people diagnosed with ALS, their families and communities as they navigate the complexities, both physical and emotional, associated with the disease.
To send flowers to Stephen’s family, please visit our floral section.
Services
VISITATION
Sunday, January 12, 2020
2:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Coffey Funeral Home
91 North Broadway
Tarrytown, NY 10591
FUNERAL MASS
Monday, January 13, 2020
11:00 AM
Transfiguration Church
268 South Broadway
Tarrytown, NY 10591
INTERMENT
Monday, January 13, 2020
12:30 PM
Ferncliff Cemetery
Secor Road
Hartsdale, NY 10530
