Edwin Charles Steiner Ph.D.

1928 - 2021

Edwin Charles Steiner, PhD
Dr. Edwin C. Steiner, of Boulder, CO, and a long-time resident of Midland, MI, died in March aged 92. Ed was born in 1928 in Meshed, Persia, to the late Lois Foresman and Robert Lisle Steiner. The son of Presbyterian educational missionaries, he spent his early years in Persia before returning to the USA. He graduated from Hanover College and was awarded his PhD in physical organic chemistry by the University of Illinois. While there, he met his future wife, Doris, whom he married in 1953. Ed served at the Army Chemical Center during the Korean War. He then worked for 30 years in chemical research and computer modelling at the Dow Chemical Company in Midland, MI.
Ed's favorite vacation was camping with his family and later travelling the world with his wife and friends. He was an avid scuba diver and was enthralled by what he called the "whole other world" of the great coral reefs. With REEF, he conducted a number of field surveys of fish in the Caribbean. In his 80s, Ed fulfilled a lifelong dream of revisiting the scenes of his early childhood in Iran.
Ed loved his work, chemistry and the power of computers, spending long hours in the lab. He was a scientist to his core, and his curiosity and inventiveness pervaded everything he did, from inventing gadgets for use around the house to cooking complicated new dishes. Ed was a science volunteer for 10 years with Midland Public Schools, carefully developing experiments for fifth grade students. He also volunteered with third grade students in Boulder.
Ed was an enthusiastic gardener and artist who created sculptures from clay, metal, and wood. He was a loving father to his four children, and greatly enjoyed seeing his three grandchildren grow up. Ed was also generous – befriending strangers, supporting colleagues and backing the causes he believed in.
Ed is survived by his beloved wife, Doris; his children, Jennifer Klein, Catherine Steiner, Philip Steiner (and Philip's wife Peggy Walsh), and Julia Diane Steiner; his treasured grandchildren, Daniel and Oliver Klein and Sheila Steiner; and his dear nephews and nieces and their children. He was preceded in death by his brothers Robert Lisle Steiner, Jr. and William Foresman Steiner, and his sister Mary Caroline Hargreaves.
Ed was an extraordinary human being, and he will be greatly missed by family and friends of all ages around the country and the world.
Those planning an expression of sympathy might consider a donation to the Midland County Emergency Food Pantry Network (www.midlandcountyefpn.org) or a charity of their choice.