Dorothy Ann Stein

Dorothy Ann Stein, 95, passed away peacefully at her home in Ithaca NY on Wednesday March 19, 2025. Dottie was loved and treasured by all who knew her and she will be dearly missed. Her smile could light up a room. Her kind, loving, and easygoing nature made her a pleasure to be around. Her positive mental attitude, her genuine concern for others, and her sense of humor inspired all who knew her.

Born 12/29/29 in New York, NY to Walter Lahm and Ruth Cook, Dorothy spent her early childhood in New Rochelle, NY. In her teens, the family moved to Great Barrington MA, where she graduated (1948) with high honors from Searles High School. She was also active in student government, newspaper, yearbook, drama club, softball, and field hockey, among many other extracurriculars.

She attended Stephens College in Columbia, MO for a year or so and then decided she wanted to expand her horizons. She became a stewardess for Pan Am Airlines, logging countless flights to countries and cities around the globe. Pan Am also offered their employees a recreational travel perk - “around the world in 80 days” for $80, which she enjoyed very much.

With her first husband, Harris Anderson MD, she had two wonderful sons, Renard and Todd.

She continued her education at Columbia University, where she studied history, fine arts, philosophy, math, sciences, and languages, including Latin, French and Spanish. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Russian and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. While at Columbia, she met her second husband, George Stein. They were married in New York City on November 22, 1963, the same day John F. Kennedy was shot, making their anniversary date indelible in everyone’s memory. A few years later they moved to Vestal, NY with their young son Kenneth, and George taught European history and was also an administrator at what is now Binghamton University. He and Dottie moved to Ithaca in 2006.

As with her love of learning, Dorothy’s love of travel continued throughout her life. She loved exploring the world, meeting new people, and discovering new things. Just in the last decade she enjoyed trips to Aruba, Costa Rica (twice!) and Turks & Caicos.

In addition to being a devoted mother, Dorothy loved going for walks and being close to nature. She loved animals, especially horses, which she rode as a child, and Black Beauty was one of her favorite books. She appreciated the diversity, complexity, and balance of the world’s ecosystem. She believed in protecting the environment, supporting sustainable agriculture, and working toward making the world a better place. She enjoyed organic gardening and became very knowledgeable about alternative medicine and homeopathy. She first became interested in sustainable agriculture and organic foods in the early 1970s, decades before these ideas became popular. Always curious and open-minded, she pursued truth wherever it might lead, and she was never afraid to support the causes she believed in.

Dorothy is survived by her three sons, Renard W. Anderson (Boulder, CO), Todd W. (Inga) Anderson (Miami, FL & Salzburg, Austria), and Kenneth B. Stein (Rochester, NY); grandsons, Harris and Sven Anderson; nephew, Dean Foss, niece Sharon (Thomsen) Foss, and their families; and her beloved kitty, Ollie.

She was predeceased by her husband, George H. Stein (7/13/07), and sister, Phyllis Jane Foss (7/11/17).

Ken and the family send a big and heartfelt thank you to all her wonderful caregivers for their kindness and dedication throughout the last 10+ years!

A celebration of Dorothy’s life will be held at her home in Ithaca on Saturday April 26, 2025 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. As she would have wanted, this is a casual, informal gathering, and people are welcome to come by any time during those hours. Contact Ken (585-734-6328) if you have any questions or just want to reach out.

Dorothy will join her husband George in their final resting spot in Lake Placid at a future date this summer.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the SPCA, the Environmental Defense Fund, National Wildlife Foundation, or the ACLU.