Joseph Michael "Joe" Stern

1942 - 2023

Joseph Michael "Joe" Stern, beloved father, brother, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, cousin, and friend, passed away on September 10, 2023, at age 81. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Milton and Ruth Stern on July 11, 1942, grew up in a close-knit family, and was raised with a strong sense of community. Stern graduated from Charles F. Brush High School and received his BA with Honors from Fenn College in 1964 (now Cleveland State University). He received a Master's (MA) in Literature from Ohio State University in 1968, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Stern had a successful career as a Professor of English, teaching for several high schools and colleges in Cleveland, Oakland, and New Orleans. At San Quentin prison, Stern taught literacy skills to incarcerated men. He taught freshman English at Southern University in New Orleans for twelve years. He was a mentor and role model to many young people: his objective was always to help them find their path. Stern brought his strong sense of community and responsibility to New Orleans in 1979, and became part of its distinctive cultural traditions. He was a Skeleton Man for the Golden Eagles Indian Gang, one of the Mardi Gras Indian tribes, and as well for the Forgotten Souls Brass Band, an all-star unit featuring members of Rebirth and the Dirty Dozen brass bands. He performed multiple times as Skeleton Man on the Jazz & Heritage Stage of Jazz Fest. In 1988, he joined the Prince of Wales, the second oldest Social Aid and Pleasure Club, and became a mainstay of second-line culture, known and beloved by all as "White Boy Joe." He organized the first second line post-Katrina in December 2005, a major event for reviving the city's morale, and soon after became a spokesman for the second-line coalition. Over the next decade, he served in every position of the Prince of Wales, including President. He also had a deep passion for union organizing and he focused it through working-class political groups. When the city tried to shut second-line parades for violence post-Katrina, Stern was integral to the federal suit brought by the ACLU. He was a political activist through several organizations including the New Orleans Peoples Assembly, Take 'Em Down Nola, and the Afro-American Liberation League. He was also a member of the Krewe du Jieux and was an initiated member of La Source Ancienne Ounfo. Joe is survived by his ex-wife (friend), Cheryl Stern, and his children, Aaron (Tammy) Stern, Delia Young, and Lakisha (Mario) LaBeach; his sister Susie Stern and brother Barry (Maria) Stern; his grandchildren Gabriella, Alexia, Mikaela, Maegon (Christopher), Mason and Miguel, and his great-granddaughter Aloni. A memorial service for Joseph "White Boy Joe" Stern will be held at Jazz and Heritage Foundation, 1205 N. Rampart St., New Orleans, LA 70116, on Saturday, September 23, 2023, from 12-4 p.m.