Stephen Flanders Loebs

Stephen Flanders Loebs entered this world on November 10, 1938, and, after being serenaded by his daughter with one final chorus of Happy Birthday, his body left this world on November 10, 2025. Known as Steve to almost everyone except his mother, he made life fun and exciting for those lucky enough to enter his orbit. With his huge smile and booming laugh, Steve's enthusiasm for life cascaded into everything he did, from his colleagues and students to his schools, to his family. No where was this more evident than when he rooted for the Buckeyes or his grandchildren's sports teams. Steve loved life and wanted to live forever. While that was not in the cards, he made the most of his 87 remarkable years.

Born in Waterville, Maine, Steve was the son of Ruth Flanders Loebs and Gilbert Frederick "Mike" Loebs. He graduated from Waterville Senior High School in 1956, where he broke the state record in the 220-yard dash his senior year. Steve then began a lifelong love affair with Bowdoin College-its campus, its students, and its alumni. At Bowdoin, he was awarded the Hormel Cup for the most outstanding scholar-athlete of his freshman class, an honor he cherished throughout his life. He was a proud member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and earned a varsity letter in track and field each of his four years.

After graduating in 1960, Steve enrolled at the University of Michigan to earn a Master's Degree in Hospital Administration. It was at Michigan that he met the love of his life, Susan Miller. From the moment he met her, Steve was smitten. Steve and Sue were married on July 13, 1963, beginning a partnership defined by love, respect, devotion, and extraordinary mutual support.

Following a honeymoon stop in French Lick, Indiana, the newlyweds continued to Texas, where Steve served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force Medical Service Corps. He spent three years as Assistant Administrator of the USAF Hospital at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls and was honorably discharged as a Captain.

In 1965, Steve and Sue returned to Ann Arbor, where he joined the faculty of the University of Michigan's Graduate Program in Hospital Administration. Between 1968 and 1972, he pursued doctoral studies in medical care organization through the Rackham Graduate School, earning both a Master's Degree in Political Science and a Doctorate in Medical Care Organization. It was at Michigan that Steve started building the two most important families in his life. The first was the group of colleagues who became lifelong friends and the nucleus of a cohort of thought leaders who met yearly to catch up and discuss innovations in healthcare and hospital administration. The second was the family he built with Sue when they welcomed their two daughters into the world.

In 1972, the Loebs family embarked on a new chapter when Steve traded his maize and blue for scarlet and gray, accepting a faculty position at The Ohio State University. He would spend the next 30 plus years shaping the field of health administration and inspiring generations of students. Steve was promoted to Associate Professor in 1977 and to Professor in 1995. He served as Chair of the program from 1980 to 2002 and as Associate Dean of the College of Public Health from 1997 to 2002. In 2000, the Association of University Professors in Healthcare Administration awarded him the Filerman Prize for Educational Leadership, recognizing his impact on the profession.

More important to him was his impact on people. His mentorship, humor, crazy ties, and unwavering belief in his students left an indelible mark on countless alumni. Steve's greatest strength was his ability to connect. When he spoke of his accomplishments, he framed them in relation to his students. And though he loved the endowed chair established in his name upon his retirement, the Stephen F. Loebs Professorship in Health Services Management and Policy, whenever he talked about it, his greatest satisfaction was that his students had made it happen.

Though Steve was an internationally known educator and researcher in the areas of organizing and financing health care services, health system reform, managed care, and community health benefits, his greatest gift was his humanity. One student remembered, "Some of my most pivotal healthcare career decisions were the result of his support. He helped me to see what I could do long before I believed it myself."

Community leadership was a constant in Steve's life. He served on the Upper Arlington School Board from 1984 to 1988, including a term as Chair; on the Board of Directors of First Community Village from 1988 to 1996, again serving as Chair; and on the State of Ohio School Employees Health Care Board from 2005 to 2011. In addition, he served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Association of University Professors in Health Administration and as Commissioner of the Accreditation Commission for Education in Health Services Administration.

For more details about his impact on medical education and students, see this link to an beautiful piece by The Ohio State University: https://cph.osu.edu/news/remembering-steve-loebs.

After their daughters graduated from college, Steve and Sue purchased a home in Brunswick, Maine, becoming part of the Mere Point community. Summers were spent on the ocean, often aboard the SayKait, Steve's treasured sailboat. After a gradual retirement from Ohio State, Steve and Sue moved full-time to Highland Green in Topsham, Maine, where Steve built a wood-turning studio in their garage. Learning the art of turning and creating beautiful objects with his hands brought him enormous joy.

In retirement, Steve remained active. He was invited to teach a first-year seminar at Bowdoin, bringing the dream of teaching at his alma mater to life. He and Sue became faithful attendees of Bowdoin athletic events, developing a circle of fan friends. He kept up an active social life that included several men's groups that met weekly to share perspectives on what was happening in the world, dinner parties with friends on Mere Point and at Highland Green, and regular travel to see his grandchildren's sporting events.

Above all else, Steve valued people. For his loved ones, there was no greater champion. When visiting him, his children and grandchildren regularly found him dressed in the colors and logos of their alma maters or employers, always proud, always cheering them on. His family, his friends, and his students (along with every bank teller, sales person, healthcare worker, or stranger who took time to answer his many questions) became part of his vast circle of gratitude. Steve believed deeply in offering thanks, and he practiced that gratitude every single day. He loved his life-and he never stopped appreciating it.

Steve leaves behind many deep friendships, including those from Club '56, the Bowdoin Class of 1960, HPIG, the Coffee Clatch, the countless friends and former students who became his chosen family.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Susan Miller Loebs; his daughter, Kathryn Loebs Stauss; his sons-in-law, Frank Stauss and Russell Werkman; and his grandchildren, Isaac and Xander Werkman, and Bridget and Riley Stauss. He is also survived by his cousin, Scott Flanders, along with his granddogs, Thor Stauss and Blue Werkman. All of us take solace in knowing that Steve is now reunited with his daughter, Sarah Loebs Werkman, as well as his parents and the many relatives and friends who passed before him and whom he cherished.

A memorial and reception are being held on January 10, 2026, at the Bowdoin College Chapel in Brunswick, Maine starting at 11:00 am. A reception will follow at the Moulton Union. If you would like to do something in Steve's honor, please consider donations in his memory to

Bowdoin College by clicking on the following link: bowdo.in/inmemoryofsteve

or

The Stephen F. Loebs Professorship in Health Services Management and Policy (OSU fund #644930).

Checks may also be sent to:

The Ohio State University Foundation

P.O. Box 736096

Chicago, IL 60673-6096

(In the check memo, please reference -

# 644930 - The Stephen F. Loebs Professorship in Health Services Management and Policy)

Arrangements and guidance are in the care of Stetson's Funeral Home and Cremation Care, 12 Federal Street, Brunswick, Maine.

Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the Stetson's Funeral Home website, www.stetsonsfuneralhome.com