Bud Stern

January 14, 1944 - December 23, 2025

Holding the hands of his wife of 51 years and daughter, Bud Stern passed away quietly at home on Wednesday, December 23rd at the age of 81. He was born on January 14, 1944 to the late Fay (Seigel) and Max Stern of Euclid Avenue in the Lower Wynnefield neighborhood of Philadelphia. He spent the first years of his life and the last a mile apart. He spent more than a half-century of those in-between years with the love of his life, Phyllis (Yampell) Stern.

Bud was the middle of three boys (along with the late Michael and Arnie Stern) and grew up in a close-knit Jewish community. His grandparents, the late Jacob and Rose (Balis) Seigel, ran a butter and egg shop on 9th and Christian St. and a butcher shop on Spring Garden. He spent every Sunday at their house around the corner with his brothers and cousins. His parents started Stern Shoe Company on 4th St. in 1935.

When Bud was still a young child, he lost his father Max. His mother Fay thought that a summer at Camp Stony Hollow with his older brother could be a good distraction. That distraction turned into a 20-year camp career, as a camper, counselor, and crack waterski instructor. While the owners of Stony Hollow were grooming Bud to take over the camp, he was asked to help run the family shoe business and, as someone who always put family first, he obliged. But camp always held a place in his heart and he was thrilled that his children and grandchildren inherited his love of camp.

Bud met Phyllis through mutual friends in May of 1974. He pulled up to pick her up for their first date in his brown Buick convertible. She had the same exact car. Her friends watched the whole thing from the stoop of their apartment. Bud proposed to Phyllis six months later at the New York Pavilion on the Atlantic City Boardwalk with a ring he bought for $2 at Irene’s Souvenir Shop. They shared the next 51 years, first living with their dear friends in Roxborough (where he developed a life-long Dalessandro’s habit) and then for 40 years in Plymouth Meeting. Eight years ago, they moved to Sutton Terrace Condominiums where they again lived among many of their dear friends. Being close to family (biological and chosen) was always important to Bud. He was someone you could count on to help if you asked or not (mostly not).

Together, Bud and Phyllis ran two discount shoe stores (Brooklawn Shoes in Brooklawn, NJ and Shoelaces in Conshohocken, PA). Like their home, which had an open door to any and everyone (most especially Aunt Susan (Rubin) and Robin and Ryan Fink, who he loved dearly), these stores not only outfitted the community in ballet shoes, soccer cleats, and Keds, but also served as a community space where people would stop by just to say hi, chit-chat, and occasionally gossip. He continued to work almost until the end, retiring from Camitta Brothers just last year.

Bud was the father of Robin (Stern) Raskin and Mark Stern. As a dad, he was kind, gentle, and playful. Many Sundays were spent over a hamburger, french fries, and a Coke at Burger King, and then a trip to Valley Green to feed the ducks or walk on the trails. He was at his best down the shore, where his family shared an apartment with his mother, aunt, brother Michael, and sister-in-law Marcy Yampell. He could be found at 5 a.m. walking the dog on the beach (smoking a cigarette), eating Casel’s banana bread, generally shmying around, sleeping on the beach in the late afternoon sun, and deciding if dinner should be Cleo’s or Johnson’s popcorn.

He is survived by his wife Phyllis; children Robin and Mark; son-in-law Eric Raskin and daughter-in-law Leah Feder; and grandchildren Olivia Raskin, Eli Raskin, and Orly Stern. Whatever Yiddish words the three of them know will have come from him. So will any appreciation they have for Frank Sinatra.

Anyone wanting to honor his life through contribution is asked to consider the Alport Syndrome Foundation or Gift of Life.

A memorial service will take place at Levine’s Funeral Home (1002 Skippack Pk., Blue Bell, PA) on Friday, December 26th @ 12:00 p.m.; a livestream of the service will be available at the following link: https://www.levinefuneral.com/blue-bell-webcam1.html. Family and friends will convene after the service in the card room at Sutton Terrace (50 Belmont Ave, Bala Cynwyd, PA). Shiva will continue on Saturday at the home of Robin and Eric Raskin (5-8 p.m.).

May his memory be a blessing.

Arrangements by Joseph Levine & Sons