Stephen Nussbaum

Stephen Nussbaum was born January 13, 1950, in Amarillo, Texas. He was Elizabeth and Leonard's second son; they would have a total of six children, all boys. In his childhood and throughout his life Steve was blessed with a large family-brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, cousins, and many connections on his wife's side of the family.

His early years were shaped by his family; family businesses, including A to Z Tire, which Leonard stewarded; the Catholic church; Boy Scouts; and the wide-open skies of the Texas panhandle.

When he was in his 70s and in declining health, he offered to sleep on the floor during a family gathering. "I'm just a Boy Scout at heart," he said. Truer words have never been spoken. Steve was defined by a sense of duty, by trying to do the right thing, by giving back more than he received, by adventure. He was always learning, always exploring.

He left Amarillo to attend the University of Notre Dame. During a year abroad in Japan, he met Carmelita Biggie, who was part of the same study abroad program. Marriage soon followed, with the ceremony taking place in the log chapel on the campus of Notre Dame.

Carm and Japan were his two lifelong loves and his constant true north. The next decade was a period of prodigious hard work. He was an academic star at Notre Dame but skipped his own graduation so he could work a shift at a service station and provide for his family, which by then included a beautiful red-headed baby daughter. This mix of practicality, worth ethic, and sacrifice was the most Steve thing ever.

Steve earned a master's degree from Sophia University in Tokyo and a doctorate in anthropology from Cornell University. His family continued to grow, with three more children born in Japan.

In 1980, Steve and family settled in Richmond, Indiana. While living in Richmond he taught at Earlham College and led study abroad programs, sending college students from Earlham and other Midwestern colleges to Japan and bringing Japanese students from Waseda University to liberal arts colleges in the Midwest.

His family remembers his constant efforts to maintain their century-old house (one Christmas morning the kids woke to find Mom and Dad on their knees ripping up the floorboards in the bathroom, where a leak had sprung overnight);his homemade bread; road trips to see family; the excitement of long-distance phone calls from Japan; how he loved riding his bike or jogging home from work; church every Sunday (often arriving five minutes late); his enthusiasm for the first generations of Mac computers; his friendships with Earlham colleagues; and much more.

Steve left Earlham in 2000 to teach at Waseda University in Japan. His time at Waseda was marked by professional accomplishment, as he crafted study abroad programs for one of Japan's leading universities. Grandchildren and the appeal of home brought Steve and Carm back to the United States. After periods at the University of Illinois and the University of New Mexico, he semi-retired to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

New Mexico was a return to his roots. Amarillo was a day trip. His brother Greg and his sister-in-law Patty, who first met Steve and Carm on that fateful study abroad journey to Japan all those years ago, were an hour away. Toward the end of Steve's life his original family-his five brothers and mom Elizabeth and dad Leonard-were often on his mind.

In New Mexico he puttered in his woodshop, went skiing, jogged through the desert, made new friends, and relished his work with Gustolab, which meant more international travel.

Steve's happy demeanor during his health struggles was a gift to his family. More than anything, late in his life he was preoccupied with his beloved wife, wanting to be next to her as much as possible after 53 years of marriage.

Steve was a talented man who worked hard. He built things and sustained them. He happily met all his obligations. He was someone who could always be counted on.

Even in childhood, he had a unique ability to be comfortable and integrate across different points of view, seeing the wonder and beauty in everyone and the work that they did. Steve helped people see themselves in a new light and with a new sense of appreciation. He would want to be remembered as a peacemaker who "made the world round."

He is survived by his wife, Carm; children Jessica (Leslie), Rebecca (Larry), Benjamin (Laura), and Simon (Gretchen); brothers Martin, Greg, and Phil; many loved relatives on the Nussbaum and Biggie sides; and friends, colleagues and students around the world.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Santa Maria de la Vid Abbey, a Norbertine community in Albuquerque, or The Nature Conservancy in New Mexico.