Remembering Steve Pellinen

It's difficult to put into words what the death of Steve Pellinen means - for the CoCo, for the Scrabble community at large, or for humanity. Steve was a blessing to all three.

We lost Steve on Tuesday morning, and it's a loss that hits particularly hard for all of us across the Scrabble world. Steve was a wonderful leader for our community and a wonderful all-around human.

It's hard to find an adequate way to honor Steve's life and everything he did for Scrabble - but it's important that we at least try. Steve was an active Scrabble player for over 40 years, and a key leadership figure in the community for much of that time. He was a driving force behind the founding of both the CoCo and WGPO. He worked tirelessly for both organizations until he retired due to illness in early 2023.

At this time, we wanted to give some of Steve's Scrabble friends a chance to share their remembrances of him. Below is a sampling of the heartfelt Steve tributes we received this week.

From Rob Robinsky:

As an 18-year-old college freshman leaving home for the first time with an interest in Scrabble and wordplay, there are few places that could have been better for me to move to than the Twin Cities. As that same 18-year-old, for the first time dealing with intense uncertainty and insecurity about his place in the world and where his future would lead him, there is no one who could have been better for me to meet than Steve Pellinen.

Gravitas is a term that is rarely used in regards to someone you know on a regular and personal basis, but as I have contemplated the news of Steve's passing and reminisced about the twenty years since I met him, I find myself frequently returning to that word. Whether as a director, a player, or a friend, Steve always carried an aura of confidence and competency that was always reassuring and inspiring without ever becoming overbearing or imperious. At a time when, with hindsight, I realize that I was in need of an anchor, I unknowingly had one in Steve. While I've always viewed his equanimity, poise, and generosity as aspirational goals to pursue as an individual, it is only now that I realize how much deeper his influence was on the person that I already am.

I could write for hours about the innumerable contributions Steve made to tournament Scrabble over more than three decades as a director, organizer, and player. As he was my most frequent opponent by far, I could also write for hours about the ways in which his faith in me as a person and player helped me to grow, mature, and develop my own expertise. Instead, I'd like to highlight a life lesson that Steve's life has taught me - that being a conciliator does not mean lacking conviction. Steve had an incredible gift for finding a pathway to common ground between opposing and passionate viewpoints, compromising without compromising his integrity or beliefs. I have never known someone so capable of finding ways to help to truly build something to be greater than the sum of its parts, and I believe that the man I am is a testament to that incredible gift. The world of Scrabble, and the world at large, has lost a true luminary.

From Scott Jackson:

I played Steve Pellinen more than anyone else (except perhaps one person) over many years in the Twin Cities clubs. Steve was always such a compassionate, kind, and caring person who you always enjoyed playing. We had many great experiences together since I moved back to the Twin Cities in late 2010. He showed great leadership as well, both with WGPO and leading one of the Twin Cities clubs, in addition to many tournaments. I was glad I was able to visit with him after things took a turn for the worst. He always had a great attitude and spirit, all the way until the end. You will be dearly missed, Steve.

From Ruth Hamilton:

Steve was the heart and soul of WGPO. As an opponent, he didn't gloat when he won or pout when he lost. As a guiding force, he maintained communication with all factions of the Scrabble community, striving to keep us in harmony. The entire Scrabble world is better for his efforts.

From Winter:

Steve was such a decent person and contributed so much to the Scrabble community that it is not possible to do him justice in a mere paragraph, but if I had to focus on one thing, I would say that I truly value Steve's efforts to foster unity in North American Scrabble. Even though Steve was actively involved in WGPO since their early days, he remained active in NASPA and never gave up the dream that we can all play together one day. Besides serving on committees on both sides, Steve also maintained an active online presence and would chime in with wise words when the topic of cooperation and reconciliation was raised. North American Scrabble unity truly lost a great force for good when we lost Steve.

From Jennifer Clinchy:

It's hard to write about Steve because there are few words that can live up to the person he was. There are many people who talk about the interests of the Scrabble community, and fewer still who take action. Steve was perhaps the rarest person in this regard. He cared genuinely and deeply for the greater good of the game, and acted selflessly at every turn to do what he believed was in the long-term best interest of us all. Steve contributed patience, wisdom, vision, empathy, optimism, and leadership as a member of the CoCo's inaugural board. For everything that he did for this community, and for the inspiring example he set, I will always be grateful.

I'll close with some Steve thoughts of my own.

I wish I had gotten to know Steve better personally. I wish I'd found the time to ask him about his family, or his career, or his other interests outside of Scrabble. Now, sadly, I'll never have the chance.

I did talk to Steve countless times about Scrabble, though - especially during these last few years, as the CoCo began to take shape and Steve played an integral role in shaping it. We had many conversations about our vision for the game's future and the ways in which we hoped to collaborate. I've never met a better collaborator than Steve. In every single interaction we had, he was unfailingly calm, courteous, respectful, willing to listen, eager to help, and passionate about making a positive difference for Scrabble. He's truly one of the best people I've ever met.

Being a good person is a nuanced thing. There's far more to it than simply being nice to everyone, all the time, indiscriminately. In Scrabble, as in life, conflict is inevitable - and dealing with conflict requires having the judgment to know right from wrong, as well as the courage to stand up for what's right, even if it isn't necessarily what's popular. Sometimes you have to fight for things. And Steve, he was willing to fight when the situation called for it. But he did it in his unmistakably Steve way - no matter how intense the conflict, he always approached it with poise and treated all parties involved with dignity. And for decades, that approach got results.

In Scrabble, as in life, you're bound to come across people who strive for leadership positions for the wrong reasons. Sometimes they're in it for their own ego; they want a little more acclaim, or just a little more attention. Maybe they want a few more dollars in their pocket. Not Steve. Absolutely not. As far as I could tell, he never cared about any of that. He really, truly wanted nothing more than to do what was best for the Scrabble community. And God, I respected the hell out of him for that.

We lost an incredible leader this week. I don't know if we've ever had a leader quite like him; I don't know if we ever will again. But I know we can all make our community a little better if we all try to be a little more like Steve each day.