Stephen D. Oppenheim ’59 died on June 6, 2023, in Woburn, Massachusetts.

(The following was provided by the Boston Globe on June 21, 2023)

Stephen D. Oppenheim ’59

Stephen D. Oppenheim, age 85, of Chatham, NH, died June 6th in Woburn, MA, of complications from Alzheimer’s Disease. He was born July 19, 1937, in Brockton, MA, to Jacob and Charlotte (Berger) Oppenheim. As an adult, Steve often spoke gratefully of the economic and ethnic diversity he experienced growing up in Brockton. He graduated from Norwood High School in 1955. He attended Bowdoin College in Maine, graduating in 1959 with honors in Economics. He served in the Army, where he was trained as a medic and earned a sharpshooter’s badge. He was married to his first wife, Judith (Homer), in 1965, with whom he had three daughters, Jennifer, Nina, and Liza. Following a move to Chatham, NH, he married Judy Bailey in 1985. They made their home in an old farmhouse, with views of Mt. Baldface to the west and Little Deer Hill to the east, two favorite hikes of the family’s. Steve had a rich and varied job history, many times demonstrating his innovative thinking. His first job was at Gillette in Boston, a company he often referenced for their progressive practices. He then managed service stations, at first independently, and then as an employee with Gibbs Oil, pioneering the service station “giveaway with a fill-up.” Before it was common, Steve bought, remodeled and “flipped” houses in southern Maine and New Hampshire. The Astroline Corporation in Saugus, MA, later hired him to be an oil trader, where he became vice president. Still later, he, along with his daughter Nina, ran Baldface Books in Dover, NH, and sold books online. For many years, he and Judy divided their time between Chatham, NH, and Silver City, NM. He volunteered as a first responder for Fryeburg Rescue, in New Mexico for Habitat for Humanity and as a child advocate for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate). He and Judy volunteered several seasons for the Fish and Wildlife Service at Buenos Aires NWR in Arizona. He was cherished by family and friends for his intelligence, humor and compassion and for leading the way to many adventures. He was lots of fun. He especially enjoyed the twice yearly cross-country trips with the travel trailer, which always included hiking and camping in national and state parks. He is survived by his wife of thirty-seven years, Judy Bailey; daughters, Jennifer Oppenheim (Jim Mangiafico) of Rockville, MD, and Nina McDermott (Morgan) of Ann Arbor, MI; and a sister, Norma Skoler. His oldest sister, Lois Goldstein, predeceased him; as did his beloved daughter, Liza; six nieces and nephews also survive him. He leaves two stepdaughters, Sarah Brookeman (Hamish) of Charlottesville, VA, and Molly McLernan (Jah) of Woburn, MA. Grandchildren include Ethan Holland, Gavin Holland, Mataya Oppenheim, Memphis McDermott, Taylor Kennedy, Julia Reyes, Jackson McLernan, Hannah Freedman, Max Freedman, and Benjamin Freedman.