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