Juan Carlos Stekelman

1936 - 2015
Juan Carlos "Lali" Stekelman z"l and his wife Liliana were killed in a car crash in Buenos Aires, Argentina on the 19th Dec. 2015.

Juan Carlos Stekelman led an extraordinary life. He was born in 1936 in Buenos Aires where he was raised along with his siblings, Anita, Chiche and Cacho. There he studied mechanics at the Escuela Técnica Otto Krause, played football (and supported Boca Juniors – a lifelong passion), attended Maccabi camps and first emerged as a promising young artist. He graduated from the Manuel Belgrano School of Fine Art in 1962, before moving to New York in search of adventure. There he met and fell in love with Sharon, a young British doctor who would become his wife. In 1968 they moved to London where they married, and in 1970 they welcomed Rachel, their first child. Five years later, they were joined by twins Greg and Dina. Throughout this period, Juan Carlos continued to paint, with solo and group exhibitions across Britain, and in 1983 he graduated with a BA (Hons) in Arts and Humanities from the Open University. He also enjoyed a productive career importing and exporting art and antiques and for many years he, Sharon and their children lived a contented family life in London. But the Falklands War and homesickness took their toll, and in 1987 he moved back to Buenos Aires. Over time, he rebuilt his life in Argentina and fell in love with and married Liliana, returning to Europe often to visit his children and beloved grandchildren. In the last five years of his life, he achieved greater success with his artwork with solo exhibitions in London and Amsterdam, a joint exhibition in New York as well as winning first prize in a prestigious national print competition in Argentina.

He will be remembered for his love of football, tango, hot weather, fast food, shopping centres and the films of Humphrey Bogart, Woody Allen and the Marx Brothers. As an artist, he was entirely free of pretension; he was happiest in his studio, hunched over his table, painting and printing. He wasn't a tortured soul - he had a simple, genuine love for what he did, and he remains a great artist whose talent wasn't recognised half as much as it should have been. He was a true "mensch" with an exceptionally positive attitude towards life, a self-deprecating understanding of his own shortcomings and a wonderful sense of humour.

He was taken from us in painful circumstances, but there is comfort in knowing that he was so happy and fulfilled in his private life and that he had achieved recognition and success in his artistic career. He was father, husband, father-in-law, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin, friend, teacher and mentor. He will be deeply missed by his friends, family, and anyone who ever knew him.