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Roger Steiner Obituary

Steiner, Roger Jacob

Roger Jacob Steiner died on November 2, 2012. He was born at South Byron, Wis., on March 27, 1924 and at the age of three began 16 years in Loyal, Wis. His parents were Jacob Robert Steiner, son of Dr. Fred and Dora Steiner of Lomira, Wis. His mother Alice Mildred Cowles Steiner, daughter of Edward Marvin Cowles and Hattie M. McLean of South Byron, Wis. He was predeceased by his wife, Ida Kathryn Posey Steiner, daughter of Dr. Silas Robert Posey and Edna Mae Shirk Posey of Lititz, PA. He is survived by two sons, David Posey Steiner and Andrew Posey Steiner and by David's two children, Sierra Maria Steiner and Emily Faith Steiner, daughters of the late Trisha Steiner. He is also survived by Anthony Wright who was like a son, of Newark, Del.

Mr. Steiner was a World War II veteran. He graduated from Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pa, cum laude with Phi Beta Kappa. He received both a Master's Degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He received a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary, NYC.

Mr. and Mrs. Steiner and their oldest son, David spent two years in France, where Mr. Steiner taught at the University of Bordeaux. He had spent 15 years in the Methodist pastorate when he started a university career at the University of Delaware, Newark Del. After 33 years at the University of Delaware he retired from teaching as a full professor with the title, Emeritus Professor of Linguistics. He became a lexicographer, and his French and English dictionary sold millions of copies. He revised five Spanish and English dictionaries. He remained an ordained minister with membership in the Eastern Pennsylvania conference of the United Methodist Church with occasional preaching activity.

He was a member of two similar patriotic organization: The Pennsylvania Society Sons of the Revolution, Lancaster, Pa. chapter, and the Delaware Society Sons of the American Revolution, Maj. Robert Kirkwood Chapter, Newark, Del, He served a term as president of the Kirkwood Chapter.

Roger's Life Celebration Service will be held at the Spacht Funeral Home, 127 S. Broad St Lititz, Pa., on Saturday, Nov. 10, at 11 a.m. and he will be laid to rest beside his wife in the family's private cemetery on Butter Road at the edge of a family farm now owned by one of his wife's nieces, Pamela Haver. Friends may call at Spacht Funeral Home on Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m. To share your fondest memories of Roger visit:

www.lifecelebration.com

Published by Fond du Lac Reporter on Nov. 8, 2012.
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The Department of Linguistics notes with sadness the passing of our colleague, Roger Jacob Steiner. Roger was a founding member of the Department of Linguistics, now the Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science. As a scholar, Roger was best known as the Bantam New College French and English Dictionary, by far the most popular of the many French/English dictionaries, selling literally millions of copies. He also edited five Spanish/English dictionaries. There were many facets to Roger's career. He was a veteran of WW II, and an ordained Methodist minister. He spent fifteen years as a pastor before beginning his career at UD, where he spent thirty-three years as a teacher and a scholar.

In the Department of Linguistics, Roger was one of the first department members to emphasize undergraduate education. Roger was full of surprises: for example, his course on dictionaries was wildly popular, attracting more than a hundred students each time that it was offered, a fact that never failed to amaze his colleagues. His courses were especially attractive to student athletes, and Roger had infinite patience in working with these students. After Roger retired, he continued to be active, and would come into the department in the evening to prepare materials for revision of one of his dictionaries etc. We are saddened by his death and will not forget him.

Peter Cole

August 21, 2013

Roger . . . although we never met face2face, we communicated by way of email over the past several years with regard to our shared Steiner family histories that date back to the 1850s in Lomira, WI. I am so glad you and I had a chance to speak by phone 3 days before you spread your wings and traveled to the west towards the setting sun. Your memory and our digital friendship will forever remain with me.

Grant Fenner

November 28, 2012

Dr. Steiner was my professor way back in 1966; his knowledge and enthusiasm for medieval french literature was inspiring. I used his dictionary for many many years in my own teaching career in California.

November 14, 2012

Dr. Steiner was the father of one of my very best friends and he and his wife Kay were like my second parents during my childhood. A wonderful person, Roger spent a lifetime always learning and communicating and helping others to do the same. The world has lost another great man...

Dave Duncan

November 9, 2012

Only met you one time...I will always have a great memory of our intense conversation .... may you rest in peace.
Marianna Erdmann

November 8, 2012

Roger Steiner was a favorite French professor and a personal friend of mine for many years.

I am sorry I will not be able to attend his services, but I will be thinking of him with fond memories.

Ruth Crossan

November 8, 2012

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