Obituary of Steven L. Stamm

Steven Lewis Stamm, a retired nuclear engineer, passed away peacefully with his wife at his bedside on Wednesday, September 11, 2024. He was 79 years old. Steven was born in the Bronx, New York. He was one of two sons born to Sydney and Charlotte Stamm, who owned a clothing store and taught their sons the values of hard work and dedication to family. He grew up in Lynbrook, Long Island, and was a graduate of Valley Stream South High School in Valley Stream, NY. He was a soccer and wrestling athlete in high school and was a very smart but challenging student. He went on to attend Penn State University, where he was a member of the ROTC program and a brother of the beloved Triangle fraternity for engineering students. It was at Penn State that he met Susan, his future wife of 56 years, with whom he shared everything.

After college, Steven enlisted in the Navy during the Vietnam War. He spent a year at the Submarine School and Nuclear Power School before being assigned to the USS Alexander Hamilton, a Lafayette-class ballistic missile submarine. He entered the Navy as an ensign and four years later was honorably discharged as a lieutenant. His home port was Charleston, SC, but while on patrol it was the Spanish port of Rota. The Hamilton was cutting edge for its day with Polaris Nuclear Missiles, and he went on five Polaris patrols at locations that he never disclosed. While on leave, he married his love, Susan, on 4^th of July on Long Island, and his first daughter was born while he was out at sea. 

In 1972, after his military service, he took his first engineering position with Stone & Webster in Boston. He and his wife purchased a house in Burlington, which became their forever home. He continued his education going to night school at Northeastern University, earning a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. His division of Stone & Webster was purchased by the Shaw Group, which later was sold off to Westinghouse. The names changed, but Steven’s work remained the same. He designed nuclear power plants. As his experience and skills progressed, his responsibilities increased to major negotiations, mainly in the US but also internationally. After retirement he remained as a consultant for Westinghouse for many years. He was a longtime member of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) and served as a program chair. He also served for fifty years on the Standards Committee, which was tasked with improving standards on nuclear power plants across the world. Steven was a mentor to college students in the local ANS chapter, including trivia nights. He believed strongly in nuclear energy as a clean energy source for the future to help combat the climate crisis. Steven was well respected by his peers for his tremendous work ethic and meticulous attention to detail as well as his kindness to those who worked with him. As part of his work, he and his family had a chance to explore places such as Knoxville (TN), Augusta (GA), Fort Worth (TX), and Huntington Beach (CA). The most special time for the family was in Rapallo, a town on the Italian Riviera coastline.    

Steve had an adventurous side to him. He loved the outdoors, staying fit, challenging himself, and the thrill of competing. He hiked, biked, skied, kayaked, canoed, and scuba dived. Two of his more memorable experiences were swimming with manatees in Florida in a location where this was perhaps not expected and skiing the Matterhorn in the Alps, where during a break he mistakenly applied mustard instead of sun lotion. He enjoyed traveling all over the world, but especially the national parks and historic sites of the US. The favorite family pastimes were skiing and camping, often shared with extended family and friends. He loved setting up the campsites and late-night gatherings around the campfire. As an engineer, Steve could fix or build anything, whether it was a computer, the car, or a new room in the house. Steve had a sly sense of humor and was mischievous from birth. Just ask his brother. Or a particular hotel in Boston where one night in his forties, he may have slid down the banister and returned home with a broken ankle. He was very good at games and did not hesitate to win when playing cards with his kids and grandkids.  

Steve was active in the community. He never wanted to sit idly by and wanted to share his talent and knowledge for the greater good. He managed the bridge club at the Burlington Council on Aging, was a member of the Capital Budget Committee, and a longtime member of Burlington’s Town Meeting. He always did his homework, challenged the presenters, and made sure the town’s funds were being used wisely. He took his responsibilities seriously and wanted what was best for the community he loved so dearly. On the lighter side, he was a huge fan of Star Trek and MacGyver, and he watched every episode of NCIS, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and The Big Bang Theory. He was also known for getting teary during another favorite show, The Love Boat.

Above all, family was the most important thing to Steven. He was the proud father of Monica and Robin, and their husbands, Michael Beeferman and Matthew Benjamin. He was an even prouder grandfather of Everett, Nathan, and Samuel. Steve was the brother of Dr. Mark Stamm and his wife, Judy, of Delaware. He was the brother-in-law of Robert and Janet Zahora of Burlington and Jonathan and Julie Hutt of New York. He was the devoted uncle of many nieces and nephews. 

At Steven’s request, funeral services will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Steven’s name may be made to the American Lung Association of the Northeast, 1661 Worcester Rd, #301, Framingham, MA, 01701 or www.lung.org. Arrangements under the direction of the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, Burlington.

From this valley they say you are going.
We will miss your bright eyes and sweet smile.
For they say you are taking the sunshine
that has brightened our pathways awhile.

(“Red River Valley”)