Gail Anne Stuehr

Gail Anne Stuehr, a pioneering voice in the world of journalism, public relations, and corporate communications, passed away peacefully, with her family by her side, on November 29, 2025, at the age of 87. Gail was the beloved mother of Laura (Raymond), David (Ruth), Eric (Janet) and Andrea; the dear grandmother of Daniel, Isabella, Elizabeth and Connor, and great-grandmother of Addison. She was the dear little sister of Lee Featheringham and the late Lois Frost.

Gail Anne Featheringham was born on June 4, 1938 To Lee Roy Featheringham and Isabel Featheringham in Cleveland, Ohio. The youngest of three children, Gail grew up in Parma, Ohio with her brother, Lee and sister, Lois. The family loved to travel, taking road trips to Florida, Niagara Falls, Atlantic City and Virginia beach, often piling into the car with their cousins Gary, Bob and Tom in tow. 

Gail's father, Lee Roy, was a talented artist, among other things, and Gail soon picked up music as her own art form in high school, playing the piccolo for her school band and later taking up the flute. It was there that she met her future husband, John E. Stuehr, who played the violin. Gail graduated from Parma High School in 1956 and went on to the University of Michigan as a Journalism major before graduating from Kent State University with a Bachelor's degree in 1961.

In 1962, Gail and John married and they embarked on an adventure to Europe where they lived in Gottingen, Germany for a year and a half. From there, they traveled to places like Liverpool, England, Berlin, Germany and they even accidentally found themselves on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain, in East Berlin. After safely returning to West Berlin, they returned to the US and settled in Lakewood, Ohio where Laura, David and Eric were born. John went on become Professor of Chemistry at Case Western Reserve University and Gail began her career by obtaining leadership roles in the League of Women Voters and Women in Communications.

In the early 1970's, the family moved to Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and soon after, Andrea was born in 1973. Adventurous and free spirited, Gail encouraged the family tradition of travel. When an opportunity arrived for the family to go to Germany for six weeks, Gail did not hesitate to pull the kids out of school so they could enjoy the experience. Neighbors would often see Gail piling John and all four kids into the family van and driving off to places like Cape Cod, Virginia Beach, and Orlando. 

Gail continued her journalism career by writing for publications such as The Cleveland Press and The Plain Dealer. In 1978, Gail wrote an article for Cleveland Magazine titled "Breaking Out of the Pink Collar Ghetto", highlighting the controversial subject of the inequality of women in the workplace in the 1970’s, which inspired Jane Fonda to reach out and create the movie 9 to 5. 

Gail and John's relationship turned out to be less permanent than either of them expected, and they parted ways in 1981.

As her career in journalism progressed, Gail became an accomplished photographer as well, earning awards and accolades for her photography, both professionally and personally.

Gail went on to become Director of Communications for Case Western University School of Medicine, where she worked closely with 1954 Nobel prize winner Dr. Frederick Chapman Robbins (Polio Research) and 1967 Nobel prize winner Manfred Eigan (Chemistry) among many others. Gail received numerous awards for her work. 

She continued to create award-winning media publications as Coordinator of Communications at Cleveland Heights-University Heights City Schools and Marketing Communications Manager at United Way of Greater Cleveland.

Gail was a member of the Church of the Saviour for 51 years. After retirement and even after her 87th birthday, Gail continued to write and shoot photos for the Lake County Tribune.

The family prefers that those who wish may make contributions in her name to The Lake County Humane Society, 7564 Tyler Blvd.E, Mentor, OH 44060; or The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, 1500 Rosecrans Ave., Suite 200, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266.

A funeral service to celebrate Gail's life will be held on Thursday, December 11, at 1:30 p.m. at The Church of the Saviour, 2537 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights, OH 44118. Interment will follow at Lake View Cemetery. 

Friends may call at Brown-Forward Funeral Home, 17022 Chagrin Blvd., Shaker Hts., OH 44120, on Wednesday, December 10, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.