John Lewis Stage

1925 - 2021
John Lewis Stage died peacefully on October 28, 2021 at his home in Warwick, New York. He was 96 years old. After decades of traveling around the world as an internationally-recognized freelance photojournalist, he took great pleasure in living his later years next door to the house where he was born.

John L. was the fourth of nine children born to Lawrence and Ruth (Ryerson) Stage. He enjoyed country living as a boy, helping out on the Ryerson farm by climbing the cherry trees to pick fruit and hiking up Hickory Hill to go fishing.

He was introduced to photography at Warwick's Park Avenue School by Tom Shost, his 7th and 8th grade science teacher. As a "shutterbug" in the 1930s, Stage's high school hobby would become his career. He started studying at Rochester Institute of Technology, then World War II interrupted his plans.

John L. was one of five Stage brothers who served overseas in the military. He landed at Normandy on D-Day + 5 and served in the European and Russian theaters. By the time he was 19 he was leading a battalion of 40 other soldiers. A decorated WWII combat veteran, Stage was awarded a Purple Heart, a Silver Star and a Bronze star. Later in life, he became an anti-war veteran.

He returned to Warwick after his discharge and reconnected with childhood friend Jeanne Buttlar. They married in 1947 and set off to Ohio where the GI Bill allowed John to study photojournalism at Kent State. After graduation, he got his first professional photography job with International Harvester. While living in Chicago, John's first two of five daughters were born.

As a freelance photojournalist for 38 years, assignments from magazines (Holiday, Life, Look, National Geographic, Travel & Leisure, Town & Country), book publishers and occasional advertising agencies took him to all 50 states and more than 100 foreign countries.

John L. Stage is survived by his sister, Peg Schultz and her husband Mel, his second wife, Gillian Murphy and her husband Richard, and his third wife, Suzanne Stage. He is survived by his five daughters: Audrey Stage and her partner Wayne Davis; Margot Stage and her husband, David Crane; Sara Culotta and her partner Ben Seidman; Abigail Stage; Kaiopa Stage and her partner Paul Young. Four grandchildren, Nicholas Sireci and his partner Katie, Trevor Stage and his wife Lisa, Chelsea Putney and her husband Joe, and Isaella Culotta; five great-grandchildren, Analeigh, Eloise, Grayson, William Lewis and Bode, numerous nieces and nephews and a multitude of good friends.

Burial will be private. A Celebration of Life at the Mulder Chapel of the Warwick Conference Center, 62 Warwick Center Road will be at 2:30 pm on November 6, 2021.

Gifts in John L. Stage's name can be made to Pacem in Terris, the Warwick Historical Society and the Town of Warwick Friendly Visitors Program.

Arrangements by Lazear-Smith & Vander Plaat Memorial Home, 17 Oakland Avenue, Warwick, NY. To read the full obituary, visit www.lsvpmemorialhome.com