Michael John Pasquarella Jr.

Michael John Pasquarella Jr., formerly of Wilton, NH, passed away quietly on Jan. 19, 2023, in Berlin, Vermont, of complications related to Alzheimer’s disease. He was 86.

Michael was born to Michael Sr. and Thelma Pasquarella on Feb. 1, 1936, in Philadelphia, Penn., one of two sons. They lived in the city, then moved to Strafford, Penn., where he graduated from Treddyffrin-Easttown High School. He earned a forestry degree from Pennsylvania State University. He married Nancy Keene in Pennsylvania in 1959.

Shortly thereafter, he attended Officer Candidate School and joined the U.S. Navy, serving in the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Once released from service in 1963, he and Nancy moved to Maine, where Mike worked for Georgia Pacific for a short time. By the time they moved to New Hampshire in 1965, the family had grown to include two daughters, Laura and Lee, and a son, Tom.

Mike co-founded ERA Keene Elliott Realty in Nashua, NH in the late 1970s. Over the years Mike mentored many of his employees. Many of those folks became lifelong friends.

He had a deep love of the mountains and the sea. He hiked throughout New England and for years insisted on regular family hikes, eager to share his love and knowledge of the outdoors with his children. He also explored the great Rocky Mountains and canyon lands of the West and sailed for many years off the coast of New England and in the Caribbean. Mike had a true passion for Morgan horses, , and spent countless hours riding and driving these magnificent beasts. He was also a huge sports fan, especially football and hockey.

Mike and Nancy parted ways in 1980 and he sold the realty business in 1992. He successfully invested in other business ventures before retiring.

He married Ellen Marston Hanson in 1998 and continued his life adventures with her. They moved to The Villages in central Florida in 2012 until her passing in 2016. Mike then returned to Vermont in 2019 to be closer to his children.

Mike adored his family and was loved by so many others. He lived by his values and made a lasting impact on everyone he met. He was a great storyteller, who loved political debates, and a voracious reader — of fiction, especially Westerns, and all genres of nonfiction — who shared his knowledge with all.

He is survived by his three children, Laura Pasquarella Swain (Mark), Lee Youngman (Dirk), and Thomas Pasquarella (Margaux); granddaughter Julia Lerner (Scott); and two stepdaughters, Aimee Harris and Erika Atkinson. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Robert Pasquarella and his wife, Ellen Marston Hanson.

The family will hold a memorial in the summer of 2023. Friends and family will be contacted with details. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a small donation to the Alzheimer’s Association (https://www.alz.org/get-involved-now/donate). Every bit helps to fight this terrible disease.