Obituary of Pliny Allen Stebbins

Pliny Allen Stebbins, 78, died peacefully on February 13, 2022, in South Hadley, MA.

The arc of Pliny’s life began on December 16, 1943, born on that day to William

and Penelope (Allen) in Worcester, MA. He spent much of his youth in Spencer,

with brief but formative time in Kentucky and the Philippines. Pliny graduated

from Spencer’s David Prouty High School and went on to attend Dartmouth

College and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. As an adventurous young

man in the 1970s, Pliny was drawn to the colorful community in Wendell, MA. He

settled there and later in Pelham, where he raised his five children and built his

livelihood as a craftsman skilled in stone masonry and then as a small business

owner. In the early 1980s, Pliny opened Dynamite Records in Northampton with

his friend Mike Rosentretter. Dynamite became the Valley’s premier independent

music store for nearly two decades of operation in Thorne’s Marketplace, drawing

music lovers near and far with its eclectic and curated selection of jazz, blues,

reggae and more.

Pliny’s unique curiosity and creativity fueled many passions. He was an avid

reader and writer, an excellent cook, baker and pickle-maker, adept cannabis

farmer, and an athletic adventurer. For those with whom Pliny shared his writing,

he leaves an indelible mark as a poet and storyteller with a gift for breathtaking

lyricism. Pliny was also wickedly funny and a bit of a rapscallion.

Pliny was preceded in death by his beloved son Joshua and brother Jay, and is

survived by his son Kane, daughters Micah, Molly, and Freda, brothers William

and Peter, sister Barbara, grandchildren Giles, Trinna, Julian and Namiko, and

great-granddaughter Alita.  A celebration of Pliny's Life will be held in early summer.