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Steven Holzner Obituary
Steven Holzner, 56, died on September 4, 2013, after a long illness. Steve was born in Madison, WI, but spent most of his early years in Pittsburgh. He graduated from MIT in 1979 and earned his PhD in physics from Cornell in 1987. He was the author of more than 130 books, including Physics for Dummies and books on science, math, business, and computer programming. He taught at both MIT and Cornell and was a local real estate investor. Steve lived in Ithaca with his wife, Nancy. Steve enjoyed traveling. In his youth, he lived in Honolulu and Hong Kong and spent summers at his family's home in Austria. He visited more than 30 countries. He was also an avid reader who favored books on travel and philosophy. He studied Zen Buddhism and was a member of Friends Meetings in both Pittsburgh and Ithaca. He was a deep thinker with a wonderful sense of humor. Besides his loving wife, Nancy, Steve is survived by his parents, Anne Holzner (wife of the late Sam Prellwitz) and Burkart Holzner (husband of Leslie), both of Pittsburgh. He is also survived by his brother, Dan Holzner, of Richmond, CA; his sister, Claire Holzner, of Watkins Glen, NY; his stepdaughter, Tamsen Conner, of Austin, TX; and many relatives and friends. In accordance with Steve's wishes, there was no public funeral. A generous person who loved to surprise family and friends with "just because" gifts, Steve would have appreciated it if those who'd like to remember him with a donation make a gift to their favorite charity or cause in his name.
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Memories and Condolences
for Steven Holzner
Sponsored by His Loving Wife, Nancy.
Frank Mayer
August 20, 2023
This is coming in late, but it is just now that I've just stumbled on news of Steve's death.
Steve and I were close friends in 1980 in the Cornell physics programme. Cornell wasn't working out for me, but having a friend in Steve made it much better. His kindness, good humour and intelligence were apparent to everyone he came into contact with. I'll remember enjoying cups of herbal tea together (fenugreek was a favourite) as he told tales of his father's antropological journeys to Libya (then been shut off to most Americans) and his fascinating accounts of life in Austria.
I regret having lost contact after leaving Ithaca and am troubled to discover Steve's passing so young.
Thank you for the opportunity to express my sentiments. My condolences for your loss.
Kevin Brown
October 18, 2022
I was learning Java in 2001 because the new I.T. Manager at the Timeshare Headquarters in Little Rock Arkansas decided we were doing away with Cobol programming language. I bought Steve´s Java Black Book. One day I discovered an error (or what I thought was an error) in one of the examples in his book. I sent an email to Steve showing what I had found. He would preface his examples in the book with "The Big Boss came by and...". He responded to my email with "I showed this to The Big Boss and he said Huh, you are correct on this"....Truly sorry for your loss.
Kurt Thaller
June 28, 2020
I don't even remember why now I decided to google Steve today to see what he's been up to. We haven't been in touch for a while but back in the mid 80's we spent much time together at Wilson Lab Synchrotron at Cornell where I was a undergrad and he was so much smarter and wiser - yet he was so easy to talk to and always willing to help, as well as talk about fun things such as "Zork". He was so smart, and yet so down to earth and friendly. I'm so sorry to learn of his passing - my deepest sympathies and condolences to his friends and family for your loss of such a wonderful human.
Anthony Suidan
August 9, 2017
I am an admirer of Steve Holzner's work and writing style. While searching for books he had written, I came across this obituary. My condolences for his loss; it appears he was as outstanding an individual in-person as he lives on in his work. I hope his books will continue to be published so that they can help countless students and learners in the future.
Shahid Arshad
December 2, 2014
I am an admirer of the books and teaching style of Steven Holzner and while searching for his most recent work was deeply saddened to find out that he had passed away in September 2013. He was a remarkable polymath and a superb intellect who still had a great deal to offer, had he been allowed more time. His phenomenal output in diverse subjects will continue to be an excellent resource for guidance and knowledge to countless students all over the globe.
From Down Under I extend my sympathy and best wishes to his wife Nancy and his family.
Andy Klinger
January 19, 2014
I will always remember Steve as the BEST instructor ASK Graphics & Training had. His classes consistently received the highest reviews from the students.
I will also remember Steve as a friend, he was easy to talk to and never had a cross word, well maybe a little when the computers at Fed Ex were giving him fits.
I always enjoyed hearing about and seeing the pictures of his trips with Nancy and how she was the LOVE of HIS LIFW. I also remember Steve telling me about a book Nancy wrote or one she was writing and how he admired her accomplishments.(I'm still waiting for that autographed copy or an invite to the opening of her first movie.
I still have a copy of Steve's Java Black Book, never got around to asking him to sign it though. My loss.
Steve you are out of sight but never out of mind, May you rest in peace.
Judy Clemmons
October 5, 2013
Steve was my super-brainy cousin with the great sense of humour.
Our families spent some great summers @ the Holzners' summer home in Austria.
We were not in touch much as "grown- ups" so my memories of Steve will always be as a kid, laughing and enjoying life in the mountains and lakes of Austria.
I will always remember his smile and laugh.
Love to all the Holzners.
Janis Kelly
September 30, 2013
Steve and I became friends after I moved to Ithaca from Manhattan and he came here to work on his PhD at Cornell. We met through our attendance at the Friends Meeting of Ithaca and soon discovered a shared interest in writing. My office was downtown on the Ithaca Commons in those days, and Steve was living downtown. We developed the routine of meeting at a local coffee place nearly every week to talk about The Writing Life, as Steve put it, and to trade drafts of various things we were working on.
The internet was a new thing then, and I still remember the day Steve told me he was interested in a woman he had met in an internet chat room. That, of course, was Nancy, referred to by Steve then and for the rest of his life as “my little sweetie.”
I was worried that this far-away person might be someone who would take advantage of Steve's generosity and kind heart, but as soon as I met her during a visit she made to Ithaca, I knew that Steve was right – she was the one for him. Nancy was a blessing for me, too, because she joined the Mostly Sundays women writers' group I had been a part of for several years.
Only later did I appreciate that Nancy was not only Steve's “little sweetie”, but a warrior who would fight ferociously on his behalf when things became hard over the last 2 years of his life.
Steve carried sunlight with him. He was one of the funniest people I have ever known, and I deeply miss his brilliance and wit. Nobody else among my circle of acquaintances comes even close to matching Steve's wide-ranging intellect, depth of spirit, and insight.
Steve saw me through the final stages of a doomed 10-year relationship, and I'm pretty sure he was the one who came up with the formulation that on our good days, my ex and I were complementary, but on our bad days we were simply incompatible.
I shared with Steve a love of travel (at least before airline travel became something resembling the lower circles of hell). One year I was headed for Yokohama to cover an international AIDS/HIV meeting and working during our weekly coffee meetups on learning the Japanese words for a few basic things. Steve was glad to help, and thereafter we became Steve-san and Janis-san. The last email from Steve-san – written with Nancy's help after he was in the hospital in Pittsburgh for what everyone thought would be, at worst, a foot amputation – is still in my in-box. Hard to believe there will be no more.
Steve Holzner was a gentleman and a scholar, the best of the best. He was my friend and my brother, and he is irreplaceable. May his memory be for a blessing.
Janis C. Kelly
Ithaca, NY, 30 September 2013
Paris, 1996
Nancy Holzner
September 29, 2013
New Year's Eve, 1999
Nancy Holzner
September 29, 2013
Steve's 40th Birthday
Nancy Holzner
September 29, 2013
Nancy Holzner
September 29, 2013
Eric Stromquist
September 28, 2013
Steve was my best friend in college, back at MIT where we were both physics majors in the late ‘70s. He had a great intellect, and we spent long hours of conversation trying to find the answer to life, the universe and everything (or even just the question). He cared and was always willing to help. We wrote each other only sporadically in the decades that followed, but it was clear he always retained the qualities that made him such a good friend.
Courtney Wesley
September 28, 2013
Condolences Burkhart and Leslie from Courtney
Jeanne Mackin
September 23, 2013
My favorite memory of Steve is of a warm summer day when he was sitting on the front porch, smiling and waving. He seemed so pleased, so happy to be greeting Nancy's writer friends that afternoon. His eyes shone and the welcome was so sincere. There was an electric warmth between him and Nancy that kind of made an aura around the two of them. I thought it was what love looked like.
Laura Glenn
September 20, 2013
After I got to know Steve and Nancy, there was a buzz in the air when I stepped out. Opening the front door of the house took on a new quality. Their porch, just across the street, became a point of contact, a place of connection. Sometimes I'd pass by with a brisk hello, a friendly exchange. Other times I'd linger and be invited to sit with them for a while. Even when our conversation was about daily life, there was a philosophical twist to it. The subject matter could get serious, yet I rarely walked away without having laughed.
Now that Steve is gone, there are days when I open the door and step outside to walk down the street and experience a palpable absence. At first I didn't know what was wrong; instead of that buzz, emptiness rippled through the air. Then I realized that a certain neighborly chapter of my life had come to a close.
Steve's presence was strong. He was generous spirited and always wanted to help his friends with problem solving. His pleasure in communicating was contagious. There is no doubt that he will live on in my memory?and in the memory of family, friends, and neighbors whose lives he enlivened. I already miss him.
Ron & Carol Schmitt
September 20, 2013
Nancy - We were so sorry to hear of your loss. Steve was a very kind, good person with a big heart. It's surprising to think how long we've known him. He first was our tenant and then became a friend. I'm guessing that yellow may have been his favorite color as he mentioned how much he liked the color of the apartment house where he lived and then later painted your own home nearly the same color! He had a remarkable range of talents and interests. Just when you thought you knew him, he would come up with 10 more things to surprise you with his expertise. He really was an asset to the world.
Though Steve always seemed happy-go-lucky, I believe he was even happier after meeting you. Take care of yourself Nancy and know that we are thinking of you.
Tamsen Conner
September 15, 2013
Steve was a very kind, loving, and generous person. As his stepdaughter, I was often times the recipient of "just because" gifts. These gifts were always thoughtful and seemed to arrive at the perfect moment. When I was interested in gardening, he sent me a herb garden starter kit. When I was taking a class in graduate school that involved programming, Steve sent me a t-shirt proclaiming that I was a "future computer genius." Steve was one of those rare people who delighted as much if not more in giving the people he loved the perfect gift instead of receiving it.
And it was not just gifts that he was generous with, during my programming class, he was more than happy to share his vast programming knowledge and help me when I was stuck. I also probably would have never passed high school physics without his patient explanations and helpful drawings, however, with his support, I was able to test out of my final because my grades were so good.
Steve was great at celebrations. When I would come to visit, he could write grand itineraries for my trip. He delighted in the success of the people he cared about and always wanted to celebrate any accomplishments. He was so proud of my success in Physics that he insisted that we had a celebratory dinner. This enthusiasm was most apparent in his relationship with my mom. Steve inspired and encouraged her to pursue a career in creative writing and then happily celebrated her successes.
Steve will be very deeply missed. I will miss our hilarious dinners© and talking about Edward the Lobster or Linda the Turkey or Little Bunky or writing travel poems together or playing Easy Money or hearing the trick or treat count on Halloween.
Hawaii Trip!
Tamsen Conner
September 15, 2013
Hawaii Trip!
Tamsen Conner
September 15, 2013
Christmas 2007
Tamsen Conner
September 15, 2013
Just back from the North Pole! 2008
Tamsen Conner
September 15, 2013
Tamsen Conner
September 15, 2013
Halloween 2010. One of Steve's favorite holidays! 627 trick-or-treaters that year!
September 15, 2013
Tamsen Conner
September 15, 2013
Tamsen Conner
September 15, 2013
Tamsen Conner
September 15, 2013
With family and friends, 2007
September 15, 2013
My favorite photo of Steve
Nancy Holzner
September 15, 2013
In Amsterdam
September 15, 2013
Paula Kennedy
September 15, 2013
I remember the first time that Steve and I ever spoke. Our family was going through a crisis and I was impressed by his compassion. Steve was all heart, and he made my sister happy. I am a better person for having known him and it was an honor to call him my brother-in-law. My deepest sympathies to his family.
September 14, 2013
Over the last few years I spent hundreds of hours talking to Steve on his front porch. We talked throughout the year, on winter nights and summer afternoons. We talked about everything: computers (he sagely advised me to avoid Windows 8), politics (I'd describe him as having liberal values but a deep skepticism about politics generally) , food and cooking, family matters, work problems (both his and mine), the trials of managing apartment buildings, our childhoods, events in the neighborhood--there were few subjects we didn't touch on at some point.
About his generosity there can be no doubt. For instance: I mentioned once, in passing, that I'd always wanted to make homemade ice cream; a few days later, I received the ice-cream maker he'd ordered for me. When time passed and I hadn't made ice cream, he asked why; I told him that it required rock salt and a more complicated procedure than I'd realized, but that I'd get to it. A few days later, I received another, simpler ice-cream maker.
Steve's beloved mother, who he called “Plum,” is an admirer of Svante Myrick, and last year when she was visiting on her birthday, Steve prepared a surprise for her: he invited the mayor to drop by for ice cream and cake. Svante came! And I made the mint-chocolate-chip ice cream.
But my favorite memory of the two of us has to be Halloween. Starting at 6 o'clock or so, I would be stationed on my porch, Steve on his, directly across the street. During slow periods, I'd run back and forth, just to chat. Our section of Tioga Street gets hundreds of trick-or-treaters, and for a couple of years we wondered about the actual number. The next year, Steve had a solution: he got a click counter, and every trick-or-treater got a click. The first year, I think we had over 450, and it became our goal to beat the previous record every year.
And we succeeded, even if, as it sometimes did, it meant calling out to stragglers at 10 o'clock. The last time we counted, in 2011, we had over 650. And the last time I saw him was last Halloween, when he briefly came to the door; I didn't speak to him, and I never dreamed it would be my last sight of him.
Well; my office window looks out on his front porch, and to me, his absence is tangible. I'm so sorry for what he and Nancy went through over the past year; I can't imagine a couple more utterly devoted to each other. He left far too soon, and I feel his absence every day. My best to every member of his family.
Steve and his mom, Anne, at Taughannock Falls
September 14, 2013
Steve and Nancy's wedding day, 6/2/08
September 14, 2013
George Eisman
September 14, 2013
Thank you Steve for having been such a good and loving big brother to Claire.
Betty Richardson
September 9, 2013
Dear Nancy, Dan, and Claire,
I am so sorry to hear of the passing of Doc Steve. He was a great friend and knowing he was nearby was always a comfort to me. Nancy, let me know if I can help you in any way. Doc Betty
Vince Kotmel
September 9, 2013
Steve was a super as a friend. Time had separated us, but fond memories of him always brings me smiles. Great humor, and stories. It was always fun to bump into him at a store.
Michelle Brandwein
September 8, 2013
Steve was a very good and admired friend to me. I knew his wife Nancy, my very close friend, for several years before I met Steve, and I was always very glad that Nancy met Steve and they were so happy together.
With love and sorrow,
Michelle Brandwein
NYC
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