Nov. 13, 2013:  Dr. Martin Frederic (Fritz) Stein, Jr., a resident of Bronxville for over 40 years, died suddenly on Monday, November 11, 2013, of a stroke. He was 77 years old.

He was predeceased by his wife, former Mayor Sheila Stein, who passed away three months ago on August 10, 2013. 

Dr. Stein leaves behind six children: Susan Bowen Reed (David), David Bowen, Kimberly Paige, Fritz Stein III (Elizabetta), Peter Bowen (Nona), and Maggie Stein Sevin (Davis); and 14 grandchildren: Rebecca, Henry, Spencer, Chase, Blake, Lindsay, Liam, Alexander, Paulina, Jaime Lee, Taylor, Sarah, Annie, and Lucy. 

Born in New York City on May 27, 1936, Dr. Stein grew up on Long Island, where he first learned medicine at the hands of his father, who was also a medical doctor. 

He graduated from Columbia College with a BS in 1958 and earned a medical degree from Albany Medical College in 1962. He took his internship and residency at St. Luke's Hospital New York City and further did a residency at the Bronx VA Hospital. 

Dr. Stein specialized in the field of nephrology. He was on the staff at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Yonkers from 1969 to June 2000, where he served during those years as director of the department of medicine; director of nephrology service; acting director, family practice residency program; president, medical staff; and medical director. While at St. Joseph's, he helped raise funds to save the renal dialysis unit from closing and oversaw the success of that unit for many years thereafter.

Dr. Stein took great pride in his military career, retiring as a colonel in the US Army Reserves. He had served as a lieutenant colonel and colonel in the Army in the physician management branch at Fort Meade, Maryland. During the Iraq War, he volunteered at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany for six months at a time over several years to assist American soldiers severely wounded in the war. He recounted on a number of occasions how he had given the soldiers telephone home cards to lift their spirits, "But most of all just sat with them and listened to their stories."

He was a member of many professional organizations, including the American College of Physicians, the American Society of Nephrology, the New York Society of Nephrology, and the Westchester Medical Society.  He was active in the End Stage Renal Disease Network from 1980 to 2001 and served on the board of directors of the Albany Medical College Alumni Association. 

In Bronxville, he was an active member of The Reformed Church of Bronxville, serving on the board of elders and as chairman of the Christian education committee. He also served as vice president of consistory, the highest lay position in the church. 

He also served as chairman of the executive council for Bronxville Challenge, a community-wide drug-prevention program, and served as committee chairman for the Saint Joseph's Medical Center Annual Ball. 

He was honored by the Counseling Center of Bronxville at its annual community benefit in 2000, The Bronxville Women's Club at the 2012 September benefit, and as grand marshal of the Bronxville Memorial Day parade in May of 2013. 

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 16, at 11:00 am at The Reformed Church of Bronxville.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Martin F. Stein to either:  the Alzheimer's Association--Hudson Valley/Rockland/Westchester NY Chapter at 2900 Westchester Avenue, Suite 306, Purchase, New York 10577-2552 (914-253-6860) or Wounded Warrior Project, 370 7th Avenue, Suite 1802, NY, NY 10001 (212-629-1881; www.woundedwarriorproject.org).

Photo by N. Bower