John Edmund Stidham

1940 - 2022

John Edmund Stidham
March 26, 1940 - September 23, 2022
John Edmund Stidham, "The Samaritan," was born in Richmond, Indiana on March 26, 1940 and transitioned September 23, 2022 in San Francisco, California.
John graduated from Richmond High School in 1958 and earned degrees from Indiana University and Earlham College. A teaching career brought him to California in 1962 and John created a nurturing environment for children in the many schools where he taught in the Bay area. After he retired, he worked as a substitute teacher and saved his earnings to commission works from his favorite San Francisco artist, Matthew Frederick. John supported the work of many Bay Area artists over the years and surrounded himself with their beautiful art in his meticulous Noe Valley home.
John's love of art spread beyond the San Francisco area. He kept close ties with his hometown where he gifted many of his art collections to Richmond Art Museum and Ivy Tech College in Richmond, Indiana
John dedicated his time to tending to his garden, cleaning the streets with a bucket and a pair of tongs in his faded black Patagonia jacket, and making Noe Valley a more beautiful and welcoming place. His unconditional love for his family, friends, neighbors and Noe Valley is everlasting. John's legacy of keeping the streets beautiful and being a caring and empathetic neighbor is contagious and will continue to inspire the neighborhood of Noe Valley. He will be forever missed.