Loved Ones Honor Lloyd Steeves and Barbara Elliott in Upcoming Alzheimer’s Walk
September 18, 2025
Trish Griswold
WOODSVILLE, NH / WELLS RIVER, VT - “I get so sad thinking about what he is missing,” Chrissy Steeves remarks about her husband, Lloyd, who has been a resident at the Grafton County Nursing Home (GCNH) in North Haverhill, NH, since April. “It’s so unfair, and it happens to good people.”
Though Lloyd, affectionately known by his former students and colleagues as Mr. Steeves, began displaying early symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease much sooner, he was not formally diagnosed until 2018. Alzheimer’s Disease, the most common form of dementia, is a neuro-degenerative disease marked not only by memory loss but also by difficulty thinking, concentrating, communicating, and performing daily tasks/functions. The severity, speed, and progression of symptoms, however, varies greatly depending on the individual. “People think they don’t remember things, but it becomes way more than that,” Chrissy explains.
Prior to his diagnosis, Mr. Steeves, who has always lived a healthy lifestyle and has no family history of Alzheimer’s Disease, was a beloved math/computer teacher and coach, devoted family man, and active parishioner/treasurer at the North Haverhill United Methodist Church.
According to Chrissy, Mr. Steeves grew up in Kensington, NH, and graduated from Exeter High School in 1961. He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Plymouth State University, formerly Plymouth Teachers College, in 1965. That same year, Mr. Steeves started his first job as a primary teacher at Woodsville Elementary School. Seven years later, he began teaching middle-level math at Haverhill Academy but transitioned to Haverhill Cooperative Middle School (HCMS) when it opened in the late 1970s. Mr. Steeves retired from teaching in 2004, following a distinguished 39-year career in education. “People used to ask Lloyd why he didn’t go to 40 years,” Chrissy chuckles, “and he’d always [reply simply], ‘I didn’t want to.’”
Chrissy, who taught Home Economics and English/History alongside her husband at HCMS for many years, describes Lloyd as “a wonderful, caring, compassionate man who put his family’s needs ahead of his own. He loved his family. He loved his church. He loved his school, and he loved his students. He cared so much about every single student, and the kids really, really liked Lloyd. We would see them in Walmart, and they would always come up and say, ‘You were my favorite teacher.’”
Cassie Manning, one of Mr. Steeves former students at HCMS, recalls that he was “very serious about computer skills, especially typing, which I’m grateful for now looking back because I type on a computer every day. I remember whenever he caught me peeking down or looking down, he would put the cardboard box in my hand so I couldn’t see it. Then I started to do better, and he would say, ‘See, I knew you could do it.’ The things he taught us were important, even if we didn’t realize it at the time. In class, he was a great teacher, but outside of class, we would always catch him joking or being silly, and that’s why he was respected in class.”
While Mr. Lloyd was educating middle schoolers in New Hampshire, across the Connecticut River in Wells River, VT, Barbara Elliott was busy teaching elementary school students at Blue Mountain Union School.
“Barbara was one of the kindest, most dedicated teachers I have ever known,” comments Mrs. Elliott’s dear friend and colleague, Nancy Perkins. “She made each of her students feel valued and loved, and they loved her in return. She not only taught academics and good citizenship, she stretched the minds of her students by inviting various community members into her classroom to meet her students and speak with them, sharing their talents and their interests. Her legacy will live on in the hearts and memories of her students.”
Mrs. Elliott was born and raised in New Jersey. She graduated from Manasquan High School in 1963 and worked two full-time jobs, one as a waitress and one as a customer service representative at New Jersey Bell Telephone. She attended college classes in the evenings and on the weekends, earning her Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Monmouth University in June of 1970. Mrs. Elliott’s teaching career officially began in her home state of New Jersey, where she taught third, fourth, and fifth graders at Lakewood Elementary School for 11 years. During that time, Mrs. Elliott earned her Master’s Degree in School Counseling as well as certification as a reading specialist. In the fall of 1979, Mrs. Elliott met her husband, Steve, on a blind date. They were married in June of 1981, and together, they made their home in Ryegate, VT.
Following a remarkable 40-year career in education, Mrs. Elliott retired from teaching in 2010; however, she continued to serve her community in countless ways, volunteering as a docent at the Vermont State House and the Wells River Welcome Center. Mrs. Elliott was also a devoted member of the Woodsville United Methodist Church where she taught Sunday School for decades. Many people have described her as “an angel on Earth” who greeted everyone, everywhere, with a warm, welcoming smile, a kind word, and nothing but love in her heart.
According to Steve, Mrs. Elliott began showing early symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease in 2020. She passed away on December 14, 2024, following several weeks of end-of-life care. “I was fortunate to have been able to care for Barbara in our home for the length of her illness, but it was a mixed blessing,” Steve reflects. “I would never have been able to do it alone. She spent the last 5 weeks at home in hospice, cared for by Caledonia Home Health and Hospice. They are a very professional organization, and we are grateful.”
Both the Steeves and Elliott Families have registered teams in the 2025 Northeast Kingdom Walk to End Alzheimer’s in St. Johnsbury, VT, on Sunday, September 21st. Registration begins at 9:00 am, followed by a ceremony at 10:00 am. The walk is slated to begin at 10:20 am at the St. Johnsbury Welcome Center located at 51 Depot Square. Former students, colleagues, friends, and community members are invited to join them. More information is available on the Walk to End Alzheimer’s website at https://act.alz.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=18968. Mr. Steeves’ team name is “NFP for the Fight,” and Mrs. Elliott’s team name is “Team Barbara Elliott.” All proceeds from the walk will benefit the Alzheimer’s Association.
“I see the St. Johnsbury Alzheimer's Walk, not as a chance to do some fundraising,” Steve says, “but rather as an opportunity to honor my wife's memory. I look forward to doing that with my family on the 21st.”
“Please remember the real me when I cannot remember you.” - Julie White
Though Lloyd, affectionately known by his former students and colleagues as Mr. Steeves, began displaying early symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease much sooner, he was not formally diagnosed until 2018. Alzheimer’s Disease, the most common form of dementia, is a neuro-degenerative disease marked not only by memory loss but also by difficulty thinking, concentrating, communicating, and performing daily tasks/functions. The severity, speed, and progression of symptoms, however, varies greatly depending on the individual. “People think they don’t remember things, but it becomes way more than that,” Chrissy explains.
Prior to his diagnosis, Mr. Steeves, who has always lived a healthy lifestyle and has no family history of Alzheimer’s Disease, was a beloved math/computer teacher and coach, devoted family man, and active parishioner/treasurer at the North Haverhill United Methodist Church.
According to Chrissy, Mr. Steeves grew up in Kensington, NH, and graduated from Exeter High School in 1961. He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Plymouth State University, formerly Plymouth Teachers College, in 1965. That same year, Mr. Steeves started his first job as a primary teacher at Woodsville Elementary School. Seven years later, he began teaching middle-level math at Haverhill Academy but transitioned to Haverhill Cooperative Middle School (HCMS) when it opened in the late 1970s. Mr. Steeves retired from teaching in 2004, following a distinguished 39-year career in education. “People used to ask Lloyd why he didn’t go to 40 years,” Chrissy chuckles, “and he’d always [reply simply], ‘I didn’t want to.’”
Chrissy, who taught Home Economics and English/History alongside her husband at HCMS for many years, describes Lloyd as “a wonderful, caring, compassionate man who put his family’s needs ahead of his own. He loved his family. He loved his church. He loved his school, and he loved his students. He cared so much about every single student, and the kids really, really liked Lloyd. We would see them in Walmart, and they would always come up and say, ‘You were my favorite teacher.’”
Cassie Manning, one of Mr. Steeves former students at HCMS, recalls that he was “very serious about computer skills, especially typing, which I’m grateful for now looking back because I type on a computer every day. I remember whenever he caught me peeking down or looking down, he would put the cardboard box in my hand so I couldn’t see it. Then I started to do better, and he would say, ‘See, I knew you could do it.’ The things he taught us were important, even if we didn’t realize it at the time. In class, he was a great teacher, but outside of class, we would always catch him joking or being silly, and that’s why he was respected in class.”
While Mr. Lloyd was educating middle schoolers in New Hampshire, across the Connecticut River in Wells River, VT, Barbara Elliott was busy teaching elementary school students at Blue Mountain Union School.
“Barbara was one of the kindest, most dedicated teachers I have ever known,” comments Mrs. Elliott’s dear friend and colleague, Nancy Perkins. “She made each of her students feel valued and loved, and they loved her in return. She not only taught academics and good citizenship, she stretched the minds of her students by inviting various community members into her classroom to meet her students and speak with them, sharing their talents and their interests. Her legacy will live on in the hearts and memories of her students.”
Mrs. Elliott was born and raised in New Jersey. She graduated from Manasquan High School in 1963 and worked two full-time jobs, one as a waitress and one as a customer service representative at New Jersey Bell Telephone. She attended college classes in the evenings and on the weekends, earning her Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Monmouth University in June of 1970. Mrs. Elliott’s teaching career officially began in her home state of New Jersey, where she taught third, fourth, and fifth graders at Lakewood Elementary School for 11 years. During that time, Mrs. Elliott earned her Master’s Degree in School Counseling as well as certification as a reading specialist. In the fall of 1979, Mrs. Elliott met her husband, Steve, on a blind date. They were married in June of 1981, and together, they made their home in Ryegate, VT.
Following a remarkable 40-year career in education, Mrs. Elliott retired from teaching in 2010; however, she continued to serve her community in countless ways, volunteering as a docent at the Vermont State House and the Wells River Welcome Center. Mrs. Elliott was also a devoted member of the Woodsville United Methodist Church where she taught Sunday School for decades. Many people have described her as “an angel on Earth” who greeted everyone, everywhere, with a warm, welcoming smile, a kind word, and nothing but love in her heart.
According to Steve, Mrs. Elliott began showing early symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease in 2020. She passed away on December 14, 2024, following several weeks of end-of-life care. “I was fortunate to have been able to care for Barbara in our home for the length of her illness, but it was a mixed blessing,” Steve reflects. “I would never have been able to do it alone. She spent the last 5 weeks at home in hospice, cared for by Caledonia Home Health and Hospice. They are a very professional organization, and we are grateful.”
Both the Steeves and Elliott Families have registered teams in the 2025 Northeast Kingdom Walk to End Alzheimer’s in St. Johnsbury, VT, on Sunday, September 21st. Registration begins at 9:00 am, followed by a ceremony at 10:00 am. The walk is slated to begin at 10:20 am at the St. Johnsbury Welcome Center located at 51 Depot Square. Former students, colleagues, friends, and community members are invited to join them. More information is available on the Walk to End Alzheimer’s website at https://act.alz.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=18968. Mr. Steeves’ team name is “NFP for the Fight,” and Mrs. Elliott’s team name is “Team Barbara Elliott.” All proceeds from the walk will benefit the Alzheimer’s Association.
“I see the St. Johnsbury Alzheimer's Walk, not as a chance to do some fundraising,” Steve says, “but rather as an opportunity to honor my wife's memory. I look forward to doing that with my family on the 21st.”
“Please remember the real me when I cannot remember you.” - Julie White
In 2022, Lloyd Steeves (L) and his wife, Chrissy, joined their family for a New Hampshire Fishercats Minor League baseball game at Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester. - Courtesy photo
Barbara Elliott (L), a native of Orange, NJ, called Vermont her home for 43 years before her passing last December. She is seen in this 2022 photo, enjoying a boat ride with her husband, Steve, and their family on Martin’s Pond in Peacham. - Courtesy photo
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