Edward Stern

September 7th, 1932 - April 20th, 2018

Edward's Memory Wall

We encourage you to share your most beloved memories of Edward here, so that the family and other loved ones can always see it. Share your favorite stories or comment on those shared by others.

Where do I begin, Dad came into our lives almost 3 decades ago and the rest is history. My mom gained a lifelong partner and spouse and we gained a father that we all wanted, loved, and respected. Dad had a gift indeed and was a natural at the art of being a good listener and offering unconditional love and guidance. His perseverance and views about life was incredible. I thought of him like a father, I looked to him for advice, and I loved him very much. Dad was a wonderful human being and larger than life who believed in everyone and he will live forever in my family's heart. He was a remarkable person and put my mother first right up until his last day on this earth. I will miss the sound of him singing to my mom while on the phone or visiting, his inspiring conversations and encouragement, and his will to never give up in life, and OMG his incredible drive to beat the odds even when it came to having a terminal prognosis.....One of his favorite quotes that I will share here for anyone that needs it was this; "A lot of people like to live life like they have another one coming....this is not a dress rehearsal. It is the only life that you will get so give it your best shot." Amazing words to live by spoken by a remarkable human being…..I will never forget you and you will forever be my father. Always in my heart, I love you dad!

Katrina Berres

April 27th, 2018 at 12:00am

Our Social Science Department is dwindling. Dan, John and now Ed are gone but will always be remembered by those that remain. For over 20 years we hung together and made sure that we didn't hang separately. Of the many things I learned from Ed the best was his advice to resist the temptation of falling in to the trap of "learned helplessness". With this bit of wisdom in mind we fought together as a group for what we believed was right rather than surrendering to the feelings of weakness and despair. Along with your relatives and all the others you touched I will miss you my friend.

Larry Steck

April 24th, 2018 at 12:00am

I have so many memories of the years when Ed and I were the psych department at Lake Michigan College.. Ed hired me as an adjunct, and later saw to it that I was brought on full time. We not only taught psych classes, we also put on stress reduction workshops that he liked to call “The Ed and Judy Show.” Many, many deep and heated discussions with regard to the courses we were teaching (and other BS) took place in Ed’s office. It was very nearly an ersatz faculty lounge. Drawn by the “grad school” atmosphere and the camaraderie, we often had drop ins from other disciplines......Carmen, Bill Camelet, Mike Walsh...as well as our fellow social scientists. And that brings me to Ed’s intellectual proclivities. Although he had clinical training, I believe that Ed was first and foremost a scientist. (Although, did you ever notice that he bore a slight resemblance to Freud? Right down to the cigar.) Furthermore, he believed that community college students were perfectly capable of doing research, and it was Ed who suggested that we include a research requirement in the Social Psych class we were team-teaching. And the rest, as they say, is history. There followed Psi Beta. The Lake Michigan College Journal of Psychology. Introduction to Social Science Research class. Ed’s impact on psychology at LMC is his legacy. But my fondest memories are Ed as an active and vocal member of a social science department to be reckoned with. Together with Lynne, Larry, Wayne and our fearless leader, dear John Wallenfang, we were a tour de force. (Ask any administrator who ever had to deal with us.) We were vocal critics of injustice. We would not allow the faculty to be disrespected. We were academic freedom fighters. We were obnoxious as hell, and we considered ourselves the conscience of the college. As such, we felt a duty to speak up when others were afraid to. When I remember Ed, I’ll always think of those times. And academic excellence. And fighting the good fight. My beloved colleague. My buddy. Great memories.

Judy Buchalski

April 23rd, 2018 at 12:00am

In honor of Edward, Cheryl Glowacki lit a candle. Mr. Stern was one of a kind !!! One of my first semesters at Lake Michigan College I had the pleasure of having Mr. Stern as my instructor. I was quite nervous going back to school after a very long time. His class was one I will never ever forget. I couldn’t wait to take the second semester with him. He knew how to gain respect, getting his point across, adding humor to the mix. He knew how to grab your attention in such a positive way. Over the years I would see him from time to time and he was always friendly and made you feel like you were an important student to him. He will be missed by so many, and my prayers go out to his family. He not only knew how to teach a class, but he knew how to have class. You will be missed, Mr. Stern. Rest In Peace. God bless

Cheryl Glowacki

April 21st, 2018 at 12:00am

I knew Ed from working at Lake Michigan College and the LMC bowling league. Also chatted with him in Florida where we stayed at the same campground. He had a dry sense of humor and every time my husband and I ran into him at a restaurant, which was quite often, he would always ask us "don't you people own a stove?" and made us laugh. He was such a personable man and enjoyed his conversations. He will be missed for sure.