James Stein

Wellsville High School teacher, coach, friend and mentor...will be sadly missed...
	James Stein, one of the more popular teachers and coaches at Wellsville High School died Saturday afternoon, October 18, 2008. He was 60. Wellsville Athletic Director Dennis Miles said Stein was raking leaves with some students up at his mother’s house on Hillcrest Drive when he had an apparent heart attack. Stein was pronounced dead at Jones Memorial Hospital. “It’s a shock … I just talked to him on Friday,” said Miles. “He was a character in a good sense. Anybody who knew him had a story to tell. “There is nothing he wouldn’t do for you as a friend. One thing I admired about him as a teacher and as a coach, Jim Stein got all the ability out of the kids they had — he was that kind of a person.” Stein was currently teaching math at Wellsville, and was known for his warm personality, stories and his support of any program or activity at the school and in the community. Saturday night, Miles said what really bothered him was the number of kids who will never get to know Stein. “I’ve been trying to talk him into coaching for 10 years since he got out. It’s too bad, there were a lot of kids who missed out on playing for an icon,” said Miles. “He never said no to coaching kids, whether it was girls basketball, swimming, baseball or football. “You look back, and there are so many stories from the kids who played for him. He was tough but they liked him because he was fair and demanded perfection. That is why he was such a good teacher — he demanded perfection in the classroom.” Photo: Induction into Wellsville Central School Athletic Hall of Fame, 2007
Friends may call from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Thursday, October 23, at the Mulholland-Crowell Funeral Home in Wellsville. Services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Friday, October 24, in the First United Methodist Church with Rev. Jerry Ward officiating. Burial will be at the family’s convenience. An Elks memorial service will be held at 6:45 p.m. Thursday in the funeral home. Memorials may be made in his name to the Wellsville Elks Lodge or to the James Stein Scholarship at: Wellsville Central School 126 W. State St. Wellsville, NY 14895
Obituary, c/o Wellsville Daily Reporter James R. Stein, 60, of 29 Stevens St., died Saturday (Oct. 18, 2008) in Jones Memorial Hospital unexpectedly. He was born April 23, 1948, in Wellsville, the son of Royden W. and Jane Gavitt Stein. In Wellsville, on Sept. 22, 1973, he was married to Stephanie Erwin, who survives him. A lifelong resident of Wellsville, he was a 1966 graduate of Wellsville High School and in 1970 was a graduate of Syracuse University with a major in Elementary Education mathematics. While at Syracuse, he was a member of the swimming team, finishing as a state medalist. His first year of teaching was in the Solvay school system, then he joined the Wellsville Elementary staff. He was an employee of the Wellsville outdoor pool during the summers of 1967 through 1970. He also coached basketball, swimming, baseball and football in Wellsville and, for five years, the Lady Saxons swim team at Alfred University. He also started the American Athletic Union (AAU) swim program in Wellsville. He coached for over 23 years in Wellsville, where the teams won three individual Section V swimming championships, and he assisted with the baseball teams, winning three Section V championships. He was an avid golfer, played the drums in local dance bands and was well-known for his entertaining ways while bartending in local establishments. He was a life member of the Wellsville Elks Lodge and especially enjoyed the “Breakfast Crew” gathering at the lodge. He was elected the Educator of the Year in 2004, to the Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007, named by the Chamber of Commerce as Man of the Year in 1981 and received many Excellence in Teaching Awards. Surviving besides his wife, Stephanie, are a son, Erik (Missy) Stein of Danville, Pa.; daughters, Jennifer (James) Tillotson of Rochester and Caryn (Jason Childs) Hand of Wellsville; mother, Jane Stein Harder of Wellsville; grandchildren, Jordin, Sydney and James Stein, Isabel Tillotson and Chloe Hand; brother, Leslie (Mary) Stein of St. Petersburg, Fla.; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his father, Royden W. Stein; and his stepfather, Hobart Harder. Friends may call from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Thursday at the Mulholland-Crowell Funeral Home in Wellsville. Services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Friday in the First United Methodist Church with Rev. Jerry Ward officiating. Burial will be at the family’s convenience. An Elks memorial service will be held at 6:45 p.m. Thursday in the funeral home. Memorials may be made in his name to the Wellsville Elks Lodge or to the James Stein Scholarship at Wellsville Central School.