By Chloe Zhang

“Life is short. Take a picture, Print it.” - Steve Bassignani

On March 21, 2024, Steve Bassignani passed away after a long and tough battle with pancreatic cancer. 

Steve was truly a major part of the community and had a place in the hearts of many, he always made it a point to make every student feel included. He never failed to put a smile on students’ faces and capture memories that will be cherished forever. "Bass" had always made it a point to include every student, whether it was in the form of photographing the after-school sports, or even taking pictures of students throughout the day. As all of us in the community share this grief, the students and staff of Hopedale shared their favorite quotes and memories of Steve as a way to honor his memories. 

“Steve was the man that taught me almost everything about taking pictures. Steve and I would go game to game taking pictures of sports and both sharing them on facebook. When it came to photography I looked up to him and counted on him to show me the way. If it wasn’t short I wouldn’t realize that Life is short. Take a picture. PRINT IT!”

“Not a quote but a memory. Back in my seventh grade year, there were a lot of random fire alarms. It got to the point where I was constantly feeling like I saw the light flash. The next year, on the first day of school, I saw a flash out of the corner of my eye. I turned and saw Steve Bass’s smiling face. This happened so many times during 8th grade that now I think of Steve whenever I see a flash of light. Miss you and love you Steve.”

“This isn’t a quote but one of my favorite memories of Steve was back in 8th grade. It was my first tennis game at BMR and Steve showed up to take photos of the team. I remember talking and joking with Steve and my teammates the whole time. It was one of the highlights of my season and I’ll never forget the way the team picture he took of us brought out everyone’s personalities.” -Holly R.

“Steve never failed to make me smile! He lit up the room as soon as we saw he was our sun and filled the room with laughs. I am very grateful to have been so close with Steve and will forever miss him.”

“Steve never let me give up on myself. From field hockey to cross country and track, it was always “Go, girl!”. He knew how to make everyone feel special and I hope we returned the favor and made him feel special when he was fighting.”

“I didn’t know him much but he was a sweet and happy person and meant a lot to Hopedale. I thank him for his impact and all of the memories he captured.”

“I’ll always be watching kiddo”

“Steve always put a smile on my face when he called me ‘kid’, and he always made me feel better even when I was having a bad day. I will forever miss him and he will always be in my heart.”  - Chloe W.

“No matter what, Steve always made my day at school… even if he was scolding me after a tough game and telling me that “if you guys keep playing like that you can kiss a trophy goodbye”. While it breaks my heart that I’ll never get to yell “STEEEVE!!” in the halls again, I am so grateful for those memories!!”

“Steve always made me laugh, whether with his compliments or his humorous observations about the kids, himself, us teachers, or whatever popped into his mind. He took a picture of me that is still my profile photo for my school account, and I smile remembering his gift for making ordinary moments lighter and brighter. I miss his joyful, childlike enthusiasm and his dedication to helping students see themselves as he saw them - just great the way they are.”

“With Steve, he made everybody feel special. It didn’t matter whether or not you knew him, because he could have conversations with anybody about anything and really be interested. He was really a great man, and Hopedale will miss him.”

“Steve always brought a light into any room and made everybody smile.”

“Steve’s presence brought life to the classroom. His smile and energy were without a doubt contagious.”

“I remember when we were told in seventh grade that Steve was substituting in our class, none of us knew who he was. He immediately grew on all of us, as he made us laugh and was down to Earth. We all left smiling, saying ¨I really liked that Steve guy!”

“Steve was always willing to talk about travel, parenthood, sports, whatever was the hot topic of the moment, you name it. He was also eager to lend a comforting word of encouragement or a joke when you were feeling down, and many people were made to feel lighter in heart after speaking with him. I remember talking to him about his trip to Alaska, and him trying to capture the moment while also trying to stay present and in the moment. How hard it was to live through a lens, and the importance of printing the picture so you can afterwards recapture that moment, again and again. He was always so wise, and treated everyone as if their story was important to him, that they mattered to him and to the community.” 

While Steve is no longer with us, his spirit and memories are always going to stay with us. Steve brought smiles to all the faces of Hopedale, and our memories of him will continue to carry his legacy. During these hard times, if any students are struggling with the loss of Steve, Hopedale Jr. Sr. High School’s guidance department is always available to talk. Let’s all remember Steve by the joy he brought to all of us. Rest in peace Steve Bassignani.