Arthur Richard Steinberg

1937 - 2022

Arthur Richard Steinberg

Brownsville, VT — Arthur Richard Steinberg died peacefully on April 3, 2022. He was born on March 23, 1937, in Zurich, Switzerland to Lotti Stern and William Steinberg, who left Germany in 1936. In 1938, they emigrated with Arthur and his sister Silvia to the United States.

Arthur attended the Park School in Buffalo, New York, then Harvard College, graduating in 1958 Magna Cum Laude. He majored in Greek and Fine Arts with an emphasis on Greek archaeology. After a year at the America School of Classical Studies in Athens, Greece, he did graduate work in classical archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania. His dissertation was on Etruscan bronzes from the Bernardini Tomb in Praeneste. He also taught at Haverford College during this time.

In 1961, Arthur was awarded a fellowship to The American Academy in Rome, Italy, to work on his PhD. It was in Rome where he met his wife, Frederica. They married in 1962, and in 1964 left Rome and settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Arthur continued his academic career at MIT, where he taught a variety of courses; he also ran the Integrated Studies Program for freshmen that examined the relationships between technologies and cultures. He retired in 2002 but continued to pursue his life-long passion for learning.

A true Renaissance man, Arthur had many interests, which he researched in depth. And thanks to his prodigious memory, he could discuss almost anything, from motorcycle engines to classical music, forging to beer-making, Max Weber to Titian, soccer to progressive education, Japanese swords to Tai Chi, and much more.

Above all else, Arthur cherished his family. He and Freddy enjoyed 60 years of marriage, and together they wrote a book called Soul of Venice, built a Japanese garden, hiked and traveled extensively, built stone walls, taught together, and much more. When their boys were young, Freddy and Arthur built a house in Vermont and for 50 years their winters were filled with skiing and sledding, roaring fires, great conversation and much laughter. In warmer months Arthur loved motorcycling with Daniel and Alex, a sport requiring balance, concentration and Chutzpah! It was also a lesson in engine mechanics and repair; there was never a doubt that Arthur knew every bolt, brake pad, chain and sprocket on those bikes, and his sons did too.

In later years, Arthur could still match the curiosity and energy of his grandchildren, and he relished in the little moments of frog hunting, trips to the dump, hikes in the woods (for which he always carried duct tape, string, and chocolate) and rambling talks at the dinner table. He will forever be remembered for his insatiable curiosity, his multi-faceted enthusiasms, his laughter, and the twinkle in his eyes.

His zest for life was matched only by his love and devotion to his wife Freddy; his sons Daniel and Alex; his daughters-in-law Kimberley and Abby; and four grandchildren Jake, Maya, Julia, and Jack.

A private service will be held in Vermont. In lieu of flowers, donations in Arthur's memory may be made to Doctors Without Borders, PO Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5030.