Obituary: Stien, Howard M.
Age 89
STIEN,
Howard M.
April 11, 1926-
February 22, 2016
Howard M. Stien was born in Minnesota on April 11, 1926 to immigrant parents Ole M. Stien and Dagmar Pedersen Stien.
He lived with them and six siblings on their Minnesota farm until high school graduation after which he served as a tail gunner on a B-17 bomber with the US Army Air Corps in Italy.
Pat (Ethel) Pierce of Wishek, ND and he were married in 1947.
For several years they raised wheat and cattle on the North Dakota family farm.
During winter months Stien taught elementary school children in the neighborhood one-room schoolhouse.
Six years later they left the farm to prepare for Stien’s career in the realm of words and ideas.
He received degrees from Northwestern College, Macalester College, and a PhD from the University of Wyoming.
He held professional positions in Biological Science at Pepperdine University, the University of Wyoming, Northwestern College, Eastern Washington University, and Whitworth University.
He was also a member of the AAAS-American Association for the Advancement of Science-and a charter member of the Spokane Chapter of Sigma Xi.
Stien will be remembered for his quick wit and unique spin on words.
Scores of students will recall his scholarly demeanor and rustic farmer’s soul.
He also served as lay pastor of the Benge, WA Community Church from 1970 to 1977 and was a long time member of First Presbyterian Church, Spokane, WA.
Stien’s favorite things were tools, fields, automobiles, dogs, shotguns, tractors, horses, and all things rural and rustic.
And, of course, books.
As distraction from the realm of ideas-and to keep perspective on the real world-Stien also engaged in ranch work and designing the houses he built.
Both he and Pat (a professor in Theatre Arts) retired after teaching 30 years at Whitworth University in Spokane where they have lived since 1965.
In retirement Stien wrote children’s stories, some lampoonery about the professoriate, and his reflections about life in extra innings.
Their family includes daughters: Suzanne Stien Foust (Terry), Beth Ann Stien Davis (Dyer); seven grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
The generations remember Dad’s unconditional love, honest affirmation, and meaningful conversations about the mysteries of life.
We take joy in a life that began early last century at the twilight of the horse and buggy days and spanned 89 years of life with six generations-at home, at war, on the farm, in church, at university, mastering retirement, and the delightful extraordinarily harmonious, spiritual, intellectual, and loving sixty-eight-year journey with Pat.
A celebration of Stien’s life will be held on Saturday, March 12th at 2:00 p.m., at First Presbyterian Church of Spokane, 318 S. Cedar St.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers memorial gifts may be directed to either the Bocksch-Stien-Hicks Endowed Fund at Whitworth University (Dept.
of Institutional Advancement, 300 W Hawthorne Rd, Spokane, WA 99251) or to Hospice of Spokane (please specify Hospice House North), PO Box 2215, Spokane, WA 99210.