Robert John Stine

Paxton / Ft. Myers, FL - Robert John Stine, MD of Paxton, MA and Fort Myers, FL passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Sunday morning, February 22, 2015 at the age of 72.

Born on March 28, 1942 in Schenectady, NY, he was the son of Medford and Gladys Stine. He was raised in Schenectady, NY and Lawrenceville, NJ. A 1960 graduate of Trenton Central High School, Robert married his high school sweetheart, Nancy Emma Tessein on June 12, 1964, two days before he graduated from Williams College in Williamstown, MA. Robert then received a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Harvard University in 1965 and taught eleventh and twelfth grade mathematics, chemistry, and advanced placement chemistry at the Iolani School in Honolulu, Hawaii. Three years later, he enrolled in Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee and received his MD degree in 1972, followed by a general surgery residency at Barnes Hospital at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. During his surgical residency, he decided to pursue emergency medicine and enrolled in the emergency medicine program at Johns Hopkins Hospital. After completing the residency, he joined the faculty at Johns Hopkins as the Associate Director of Emergency Medicine at Baltimore City Hospital. After four years at the Baltimore City Hospital, he was recruited back to Barnes Hospital in St. Louis to become the director of the emergency department. In 1985, Robert returned to Massachusetts with his family where over the next twenty years he held various positions at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Health Care System, including Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Worcester City Hospital (until it closed in 1991), Director of the Emergency Department at the Medical Center of Central Massachusetts (1991-1995), and other administrative, professional, and clinical positions. He retired in 2005 as Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine.

Robert enjoyed traveling around the world with his wife, Nancy. He enjoyed surfing, golfing and visiting beautiful beaches. He especially enjoyed spending time in Hawaii. He relished the time he spent with his wife, children, grandchildren, and extended family and friends. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather and will be missed dearly by his family. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 50 years, Nancy Emma Stine; his daughter, Nancy Lynn Harvey and her husband Michael Harvey and their sons, Ryan William Harvey and Matthew John Harvey of Fort Myers, FL; his son, Robert Murray Stine of North Plainfield, NJ and his daughter, Melissa Marie Edwards and her husband, Benjamin Edwards and their daughters, Sadie Alexandria Edwards and Juliette Emma Louise Edwards of Fairfield, CT; his brother, Dr. Donald M. Stine and his sister, Doris Winkler and her husband, Duly Winkler, all of Arizona; nieces and nephews; and an extended network of family and friends.

Family and friends are invited to a celebration of Robert’s life on Saturday, February 28, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at the First Congregational Church of Paxton, 1 Church Street, followed by burial at Mooreland Cemetery, Paxton. A reception will follow at the family home. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation towards pancreatic cancer research at Johns Hopkins University (On the memo line of the check, “In memory of Dr. Robert J. Stine) and make check out to “Johns Hopkins University.” Mail to Ralph H. Hruban, M.D., Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 401 North Broadway, Weinberg 2242, Baltimore, MD 21231-2410. To share a memory or leave an online condolence for the Stine family, please "Sign the Guestbook" on this page.