Peter Otto Steiner

We are adding love and memories of "Private Steiner" from the Neuburger side of the Wurzburger family...we just found out yesterday and Elaine would like to share some other family news with you.

My sincere condolences to Peter Steiner's family. He accomplished much of which you can be very proud. But one of his many minor early accomplishments earned him my eternal gratitude, namely: in first and second Form at Fieldston when I was still big enough to play tackle football, and had some success as a running back, whatever success I had was greatly enhanced by Peter as my favorite blocker. He was also a great guy to have fun with, whether by arguing politics or trading jokes,...

I met Peter and Pat through Allison Steiner when Allison and I were law school classmates at U of M in the early 70's. Professor Steiner was a warm and wonderful man, with a delightful wry sense of humor.

Intuitively, I had the good sense to avoid any involvement with Peter Steiner when it came to the art of playing poker, or the mysterious, esoteric world of economics. We did, however, spend some time discussing our mutual lifelong passion for fly fishing the trout streams of...

Peter was totally himself and I cherished every moment I spent with him, even when he gave me grief as a department chair--maybe especially then, for his sardonic sense of humor could never mask his great heart.

I am sitting in my home office rereading his reply to my first letter to him when I became chair of the English Department. I had asked for the moon and Peter responded by advising me not to "puff yourself up," to employ reasoned argument, to prioritize, and to bother him...

Peter Steiner was wise in the ways of academia. I shall always treasure the many principles he taught me, of which the finest was this: "Never attribute to malice what can be accounted for by incompetence." He was massively competent, never malicious, and delightfully candid. He will be much missed.

What a great person, friend, and gift to the University !