In Memoriam

On February 15, 2021 beloved Husband, Father, Grandfather, and Uncle, (Robert) John Stern passed away at the age of 78. He suffered a series of strokes which advanced his dementia and ultimately landed him in hospice. John was born on July 5th, 1942 in New York City. His parents were Jewish refugees from Austria and his father was an interpreter for the US Army in WWII.  His Mother worked as a language translator and edited the book “Roots”. John graduated with a degree in English from NYU and served in the National Guard.  He married Sally Richardson in 1967 and divorced in 1976.  He then married Nancy LeRiche in 1978 and they were married for 42 years until his passing. John owned two Restaurants in NYC; a French Bistro named PS77 and a pub named Shelter.  In 1981 he moved to Cape Neddick Maine and started Pie In the Sky Bakery with his wife Nancy which was open for 35 years.  He had three sons, Christopher, Jesse and Zeke; two grandsons Harry and Jack; and a niece named Abby.

Car-master, pie-master, Mr. Fix-It; a bike-racing bread machine; the basket weaving downhill skiing NYC marathon runner and restaurateur; the bakery-owning tool-toting madman with the studded snow tires and the 1990’s fuzz-buster on the dash of the BMW. John strived for perfection in anything he did. He would bleed your brakes and replace your clutch for his own tortured enjoyment, play hooky to watch Star Wars or build his kids a robot suit with oscillating head gear for the Science Fair. He was described by one of his son’s friends as “an inspiration for independent thought.”  He was a unique, loving, smart, and generous person who would always help out those in need. He will be missed greatly by his family and friends.

In tribute we thought John would be best described like a bottle of wine.  Bimmer red in color, aromas of Blueberry pie and coffee combine with subtle notes of NASCAR and Star Wars. The palate entry shows flavors of Austria and NYC, complemented by a hint of Connecticut and a strong smokey Maine finish.  A balance of morals, madness, and zest for life round out the mouth-feel. The overall impression is one of love with great structure.