NOVEMBER 14 • 2024 | 63
OBITUARIES
OF BLESSED MEMORY
D
r. Sheldon D. Stern was a
gifted eye surgeon, a beloved
teacher and generous mentor,
a talented artist and discerning collec-
tor and, above all, a devoted husband
to his late wife, Jessie, and a loving
patriarch to his children, grandchildren
and great-grandchildren. Dr. Stern,
known as “Shelly” to his family and
friends, passed away on Oct. 28, 2024,
at the age of 94.
Shelly was born in Chicago in 1929
and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana,
where he and his sister Beverly learned
the importance of family and the value
of working hard. He played the violin
in high school, which sparked a love
of music that continued throughout
his life.
He received his undergraduate
and medical degrees from Indiana
University and remained a loyal
Hoosier. It was there he met fellow stu-
dent Jessie Kaufman, and their connec-
tion was instant and enduring. During
their 65-year marriage, they raised a
loving family and enjoyed a shared
passion for travel, the arts, a variety of
sports and community service.
After graduating in 1954, Shelly did
a residency at Case Western Reserve
University in Cleveland, followed by a
Harvard Medical School summer fel-
lowship at Massachusetts Eye and Ear.
Soon after their daughter, Gayle, was
born, the recently enacted “Doctors
Draft” called Shelly to serve in Japan as
a U.S. Air Force physician.
During their two-year stint overseas,
the Sterns developed an appreciation of
Japanese culture and art, accumulating
an impressive assortment of porcelain,
furniture, kimonos and classic wood
block prints, which are now in the
permanent collection at the Detroit
Institute of Arts (DIA).
After finishing his residency in
Cleveland, Shelly fulfilled a longtime
dream of having his own practice. He
opened an office on Grand Circus Park
in Detroit and the family, which now
included their son, Jeremy, resided in
nearby Lafayette Park.
Shelly remained committed to the
city, refusing to join the suburban
exodus after the 1967 riots. Even after
opening an office in Beverly Hills, he
retained his Detroit practice to serve
the urban community who relied on
his exceptional skills and compassion-
ate bedside manner.
During his 50-year career, Shelly
earned a reputation as an innovative
surgeon and a dedicated mentor to the
next generation of doctors, earning
the title of “Best Teaching Doctor” at
the former Sinai Hospital in Detroit.
He continued to learn about the latest
technologies and was a pioneer in
such cutting-edge techniques as Argon
lasers to treat retinal detachment with-
out invasive surgery. He continued to
see patients into his 90s.
He maintained a stringent code of
ethics in his personal and professional
life, never taking shortcuts or bowing
to the latest fads.
“He was honest, a man of integrity,
”
said Rabbi Mark Miller of Temple Beth
El, who officiated the funeral service.
“His word meant everything to him.
”
While he could be demanding, he
was a loving father who took pride in
his children’s accomplishments and
supported their dreams.
“He taught us life lessons that shaped
our families, careers and personal
lives,
” said Jeremy. “He was larger than
life to me.
”
One such lesson was “you make
your own luck.
” He believed anything
was possible with enough persistence
and determination, a credo he applied
in every aspect of his life. He had a
unique sense of humor, known for tell-
ing corny dad jokes before they were
fashionable. He was a dapper dresser
who took pride in his appearance.
A true Renaissance man, Shelly
had an eclectic range of passions and
interests. In addition to amassing an
impressive art collection, he was a
prolific painter and printmaker, pro-
ducing several works exhibited at the
Birmingham Bloomfield Arts Center.
He also enjoyed gourmet cooking,
skiing, golf, sailing, classical music,
opera, dance and restoring old cars,
recruiting the family to help with two
Mercedes he named “Junior” and
“Senior.
”
A lifelong learner, he earned a mas-
ter’s degree in art history from Wayne
State University at age 62. Seven years
later, he studied Hebrew and became a
b’nai mitzvah at Temple Beth El, where
he and Jessie were active members.
Shelly believed strongly in giving
back to his community and exempli-
fied the Jewish concepts of tzedakah
(charity) and tikkun olam (healing
the world). He served on the board of
directors of several nonprofits, includ-
ing the Harbinger Dance Company,
and was elected to the city council
of Franklin Village, where the family
moved in the early 1960s.
He was a tenacious fundraiser for a
variety of causes, including the annu-
al pledge campaign for the Jewish
Federation of Detroit. He helped many
Jews escape the hostile conditions in
the former Soviet Union in the 1980s
and “adopted” a Russian family who
immigrated to Michigan. In 2003,
Shelly and Jessie received the presti-
gious Lifetime Achievement Award
from the Jewish Federation of Detroit.
“I used to call him the ‘Energizer
Bunny,
’” said his daughter, Gayle. “He
made the most of his life and time.
”
Always eager for new experiences,
he and Jessie traveled extensively with-
in the country and across the world.
They visited museums and art galleries
in New York and took family trips to
Israel, southern France and the Canary
Islands. In their later years, they
enjoyed spending summers at their
Petoskey home, sailing and enjoying
family time.
Despite Shelly’s many accomplish-
ments in his career and his community,
his most treasured role was that of
father to Gayle and Jeremy and “Papa”
to his cherished grandchildren and
great-grandchildren.
His grandson, Ari, appreciated
Shelly’s constant support and the “gen-
tle and loving treatment he showed to
any person, regardless of social status
or age or any other qualifier.
”
Sheldon Stern is survived by his
cherished children, Gayle (Gary)
Eubanks and Jeremy (Hildy) Stern;
loving grandchildren, Dr. Emily (Ryan)
Abbott, Noah (Kim Anderle) Eubanks,
Joshua Stern, Ari Stern, Eban Stern
and Seth Stern; adored great-grand-
children, Connor, Cleo, Lily, Oliver
and Awa; brother-in-law, Dr. Irving K.
Arenberg; and many loving nieces and
nephews.
He was the beloved husband of the
late Jessie Stern, loving brother of the
late Beverly Skilken, and devoted son
of the late Mary and Samuel Stern.
Interment was at Beth El Memorial
Park. Contributions in memory of Dr.
Sheldon Stern may be made to Temple
Beth El, 7400 Telegraph, Bloomfield
Hills, MI 48301, (248) 851-1100,
www.tbeonline.org/donate; Jewish
Federation of Detroit, 6735 Telegraph
Road, Suite 260, P
.O. Box 2030,
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303, (248) 642-
4260, https://jewishdetroit.org/send-
a-tribute; or a charity of one’s choice.
Arrangements were by Ira Kaufman
Chapel.
A Renaissance Man
RONELLE GRIER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Dr. Sheldon D. Stern