Stephan Stern Obituary, Charlestown, Rhode IslandQuinn Funeral Homes

Stephan Max Stern Obituary

Stephan Max Stern

June 30, 1953 - January 28, 2021
Resided in Charlestown, Rhode Island

Obituary

Stephan Max Stern, age 67 of Charlestown, RI passed away on Thursday, January 28, 2021. Born in Washington, D.C. He was a son of the late Isidore and Hildegard E. (Piwak) Stern.

Steve was passionate not only about his home improvement projects, but also about cooking, art, native wild flowers, bird watching and the Republican Party. While the effort that went into his cooking did not usually match the outcome (we will never forget the creamed onions he brought to every holiday gathering), the sheer determination and tenacity that went into every dish as well as every other aspect of his life set him apart from others.

Steve had recently retired but had a colorful employment history having worked as a private investigator, journalist for multiple newspapers, Alaska during the Valdez oil spill cleaning and feeding sea otters, attorney, in-house council and proposal writer to name a few. He was always seeking new adventures but what he did best was to argue. Always the contrarian, he could argue about anything, anytime, anywhere, but he really shone when arguing about politics, usually during the holidays in his brother’s house. Steve was highly intelligent and well educated, having earned his Doctor of Law degree from University of Puget Sound and a degree in Journalism from University of Southern California.

Steve loved the outdoors especially hiking the deserts out west. During the Valdez oil spill, he lived in a tent in Alaska saving enough money to put himself through law school. He traveled extensively throughout the world. He visited Africa including Senegal, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Europe including Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Sicily, South America, Mexico and skied the Matterhorn to name a few. He hitchhiked his way through Tunisia and spoke vividly of his adventures. He visited and hiked to Angell Falls in Venezuela and drove to Hudson Bay just to see what was there. Steve had lived all over the country, including Tacoma, California, Alaska, Washington DC, Chicago and finally Charlestown, Rhode Island, to be closer to his family. He served time in the Army, and was stationed in Italy during the 1970’s.

Steve was an avid outdoorsman. He enjoyed being in the woods, where he could identify nearly any plant, fungi, or bird that crossed his path. He loved to hike and kayak, and took many pictures and videos of his adventures. He loved animals, including the stray cat (Albert) who made its way into his home several months ago that he swore wasn’t really his cat.

Steve’s sense of humor, character, and one of a kind personality made him a most unforgettable individual and filled any room with his presence. His knowledge and degree of informative trivia was unparallel and unmatched. He leaves behind a hole that is impossible to fill and his family that misses him dearly.

Stephan leaves behind his brother, Ron Stern; his sister-in-law, Darlene (Ortolano) Stern; two nieces, Michaela and Maya Stern; and his aunt, Traude Piwak of Vienna, Austria.

A visitation will be held on Friday, February 5, 2021 from 5-7 pm with a funeral service to follow at 7 pm in St. Veronica Chapel, 1035 Boston Neck Rd., Narragansett, RI 02882. Military funeral honors will be rendered. His interment will be private at the convenience of the family.

A livestreaming of the funeral service will take place at 7 pm on Friday, February 5, 2021 and may be found by visiting https://livestream.com/stm/stv-funeral

The funeral director and staff will be monitoring safety and capacity protocols. Social distancing will be observed, and face coverings are respectfully required.