Steve Pajcic: The Champion

20 Really Good People

Steve Pajcic grew up in a house that his daddy built in Woodstock Park. He never had more than one pair of shoes, but he had a loving family who taught him to care at an early age. He was valedictorian at Paxon High School, played basketball at Princeton, and earned his law degree from Harvard.

He and his late brother Gary started the personal injury firm of Pajcic & Pajcic in 1974, with a goal of helping people in need. 

More than 50 years later, the firm is thriving with 17 attorneys, including Steve’s son and three of Gary’s. Steve served six terms in the Florida House of Representatives before losing a close race for Governor in 1986. He still beams with pride talking about helping his best friend Nat Glover become Florida’s first Black sheriff since Reconstruction.

Steve’s heart of gold has been evident in the generous donations he and the firm have given over the years. There are too many to name, but “Yard Golf” is a signature annual event, which has raised well over $1 million for Jacksonville Area Legal Aid.

He invested $2.5 million to start a program that mentors and provides monetary incentives to disadvantaged youth. He and Gary created an endowment at the University of North Florida for Paxon High graduates. Nearly 100 students have benefitted so far. Most recently, Steve and the firm gave $100,000 to fill in the gaps for those struggling during the government shutdown.

Steve may be nearing his 80th birthday, but he never slows down. He rides his bike to the office. He fishes from his kayak – sometimes twice a day – in the marshes off Amelia Island.  His Tuesday evening doubles ping pong gathering is in its 51st year. His head once put a hole in the wall. Steve deeply misses his wife Anne who passed away in 2021 and his brother who went even sooner and more unexpectedly. He spends his free time on adventures with his five grandchildren, always hoping to inspire them to show kindness and generosity.