John Patrick Stein

John Patrick Stein of Stroudsburg, PA, formerly of New City, NY died on May 28, 2026. John
was born in Manhattan, NY on March 7, 1956 to John Joseph and Mary Francis (nee Barrett)
Stein. Born with bright orange red hair and a mischievous twinkle in his eye, John was often
hired for modeling; contracts with companies such as GE, Kodak and his favorite cookie, Oreo.
After stepping away from the "limelight" to be a regular kid, he graduated from Clarkstown
Senior High School South in 1974. John joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1975 and served until
1980. After returning home, John attended classes at SUNY Rockland and worked as a bouncer
at a local bar. One particular night a fight broke out. To get to the tussle faster, he threw a bar
stool out of the way. As fate would have it, that bar stool hit his future wife, Ann-Mari Duffy. A
double drink was offered as an apology, which led to a date, and soon after, in November 1980,
a walk down the aisle in a powder blue suit. Together, he and Ann-Mari raised three
rambunctious, often rebellious, precocious girls (payback as his mother, Mary would say). In
1982, with a wife and a small baby, John finally decided to settle down and joined the
Corrections Division of the Rockland County Sheriff's Department. For 25 years, he diligently
and respectfully worked his way up to the rank of lieutenant before retiring in 2007.
A lifelong NY Giants and Yankees fan, John spent his time on earth living life to the fullest.
Whether making memories with his many nieces and nephews, playing pool or poker with
friends or simply, and loudly, yelling at the tv which play should be next while watching a Giants
game, a dull moment was never had within John's company. John was a member of Moose
Lodge 1336 and a board member of Sun Valley Volunteer Association. He was also a proud
member and owner of Ace Hunting Camp where he enjoyed hunting with family and friends
annually.
While John was the life of the party, he was, more importantly, just a phone call away for anyone
who needed help. Described as a “jack of all trades, master of none”
, he would be there to fix
your heat on a frigid night, pull your car out of a ditch during a blizzard or pick you up from a bar
after a late night. To always lend a helping hand while expecting nothing in return is a quality
few possess. John embodied it.
John is survived by his loving wife of 45 years, Ann-Mari; his daughters, Maureen Rich,
Kathleen DeStefano and Patricia Engelman; and his two granddaughters, Catelyn and
Samantha Rich. He is also survived by his son-in-laws, Dan Rich, James DeStefano and Marc
Engelman; his siblings, Mary Kirsch, Kathryn Finneran (James), and Thomas Stein (Jennifer)
along with sixteen biological nieces and nephews and countless "adopted" ones. He is
predeceased by his brother Vincent and his parents, John and Mary.
The Stein family would like to express their deepest appreciation and gratitude to the
exceptional medical staff at St. Luke's Hospital Monroe campus. Their outstanding care andunwavering compassion brought a deep comfort to our family during this difficult time. We also
cannot forget the professionalism and compassion of St. Luke’s Emergency & Transport
Services staff.
A Celebration of Life will be held on June 6, 2026 from 3pm to 7pm at the Pearl River Elks 2041
Elks Dr, Nanuet, NY 10954. A Celebration of Life will also be held on June 14, 2026 from 3pm to
7pm at Sun Valley Volunteer Association 608 Westbrook Rd, Effort, PA 18330.
In lieu of flowers please donate to Tunnel to Towers Foundation in John Stein’s name.
https://t2t.org/donate