Edward J. Stevens III

Edward J. Stevens III, the beloved husband of Judith B. Stevens (nee Brereton) and preceded in death by his first wife, Anne Sroka Stevens. Father of Peter Stevens (Elizabeth), Martha Stevens, and Suzanne Vaughn (Matthew); grandfather of Benjamin and Charlotte Stevens, Charles and Anne Sullivan, and Clare Vaughn; brother of Richard W. Stevens (Dorothy) and Virginia Nilsson. A funeral service will be held on September 27, 2025, at 2:00 pm at St. Paul’s Church, 2747 Fairmount Blvd, Cleveland Heights, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Karel Paukert Memorial Music Fund at St. Paul’s Church (https://onrealm.org/StPaulsCle/-/form/give/Paukert). 

Son of Edward J. Stevens Jr and Esme Clare Stevens, Ed was born in the Wissinoming neighborhood of Philadelphia in 1935. He graduated from Philadelphia's Central High School before attending Haverford College, where he met his first wife, Anne Preston Sroka, a student at Bryn Mawr College. They were married in 1957 and lived in New Haven, Connecticut, where Ed pursued his PhD in Economics at Yale University. While at Yale, he and Anne met their future brothers-in-law, Jack McCredie and Al Ordway, who over the next few years married Anne’s sisters, Yvonne and Michelle. Following Yale, Ed was a professor of Economics at Syracuse University until 1970 when he accepted a job in the research department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland and the family moved to Chadbourne Road in Shaker Heights, Ohio, where he resided for 55 years. 

Ed was a devoted father to Peter, Martha and Suzy, spending countless days driving to pre-dawn swim practices, watching field hockey games, attending recitals and even providing piano accompaniment. He helped with math and economics homework for years, patiently working through problems on the family’s giant chalkboard until his children understood - or claimed to understand - the concepts. Through the years he was a source of support and guidance, giving advice about home and auto repairs and recommending books to read. Never one to brag, Ed quietly took pride in the accomplishments of his three children and five grandchildren and was always ready with encouragement and advice when they faced challenges. 

A devoted husband, Ed was Anne’s perfect friend, foil and stalwart companion. Throughout their marriage, the kitchen was Anne’s exclusive domain except on Sundays when Ed treated his family to waffles made with his secret recipe. John and Anne Gardner became their fastest friends and near-constant companions over the decades, sharing their lives in family kitchens, Christmas Eve celebrations, and vacation homes. 

Ed was a voracious reader who could be found with a book almost everywhere he went, reading Dickens to his young children at bedtime, and poring through histories and biographies on his daily commute on the Rapid and on the porch of the Brereton cabin on Buckhorn Lake. He was also an avid gardener, turning the family backyard into a chorus of flowers every summer while wearing his ever-present pith helmet, and a strict adherent to the ritual of "nice drink time" with Anne at 6 PM every day. His passion for British sports cars took hold in college and led to decades of MGs, Morgans and Triumphs, providing a comfortable income for a number of local mechanics. 

The Episcopal Church was at the center of his life. Ed was an active parishioner of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Cleveland Heights, Ohio for over 50 years, serving in many roles including as Senior Warden of the Vestry, a longtime lay reader and as a member of the visiting ministry. Music was a constant joy; hymns were always sung with gusto, and as a church organist and accomplished pianist he reveled in Karel Paukert’s organ performances at St Paul’s. He attended the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra on Thursday evenings for many years and was a loyal supporter of many classical music programs including the Lyric Opera, the Chautauqua Symphony and Apollo’s Fire.

Ed’s career in Cleveland spanned 35 years in the Research Department of the Federal Reserve Bank. He became an officer of the Bank where he developed expertise in payment systems, the invisible glue of the global economy, becoming one of only a handful of experts on the subject and writing a number of influential papers that were foundational for central banks. Never one to take credit, he was quietly proud to participate in the monthly Federal Open Market Committee meetings (which determine US monetary policy) in the 1990s and into the new century and enjoyed the days he was called upon to close the bank’s vault by swinging the 47-ton door with ease on its 19-foot-high hinge. 

Ed met Judith Brereton in 2001. After a courtship that Ed described as “enchanting” and asking Judy’s brother for permission to propose, they were married at St. Paul’s Church in Cleveland Heights, Ohio in October, 2002. They built a life together in the Brereton family home in Shaker Heights, his second on Chadbourne Road, and lakefront cottage in Buckhorn, Ontario. The tenacity Ed displayed in teaching himself to cook served him especially well in 22 years of happy marriage to Judy, who was delighted to concede to Ed exclusive domain over the kitchen. Together, Ed and Judy hosted large groups of family and friends for holiday dinners that would end with guests singing along while Ed played the piano. 

Ed’s most cherished time was spent with his family and friends in Chautauqua, Buckhorn, Beach Haven, Bridgton and Martha’s Vineyard. He went further afield on some eclectic journeys, visiting the Soviet Union in the mid-1970s, to Kyrgyzstan with Judy in 2002, and cruising as a passenger on working Great Lakes ore boats on two separate trips. Nearly every August brought Ed together with brother Richard and sister Virginia in Beach Haven on Long Beach Island, New Jersey, swimming, sailing, eating unimaginable amounts of fresh seafood and summer corn on the cob, and puttering about - his favorite pastime. Whether enjoying time with loved ones or pursuing his passions, Ed epitomized kindness, curiosity, and unwavering integrity. 

He is survived by his children and grandchildren, his wife Judy, and other family and friends who cherished his gentle spirit and generous heart. Ed’s legacy is a lifelong pursuit of knowledge and joy; he was a gentleman until the end. May his memory inspire all who knew him.