Stephen J Heller, 72, formerly of Bethlehem, PA, died at Hartford Hospital in CT after a very brief illness on Oct. 3, 2021. Born in Princeton, NJ, Steve was always proud of his brushes with Albert Einstein as he passed by the great physicist on Mercer Street in his baby carriage. By his second birthday, Steve had moved to Bethlehem, PA, where his parents, James and Alice Heller, moved the family, beginning a long connection with Moravian College. Steve graduated from Freedom High School, attended college briefly, and worked several jobs including a long period as a traveling baby photographer.
Steve always had a deep love for and knowledge of classical and modern music, which eventually led him to work as a music tech for the Moravian College Music Department. Steve was also interested in science, especially astronomy and physics. He had a love/hate relationship with computer technology and was proud of having set up the first computerized system for the Moravian College Music Library.
After a debilitating illness in 2012, Steve moved to Manchester, CT, to be near his sister. Although he struggled with physical and mental decline in his last few years, Steve did enjoy good food, listening to music, and playing chess wherever and whenever he could find a willing chess partner. In this recent photo, Steve is playing chess in Wickham Park in Manchester.
Steve leaves his sister, Janet Heller, of Manchester, CT, sister, Beth Kortze of Mineral, VA, brother, Mark Heller of Colorado Springs, niece, Holly Kassel, of Chicago, IL, and nephew, Jonathan Kortze, of Richmond, VA, as well as his good friend, Jim Dowling, and other friends and former colleagues in the Bethlehem area. His ashes will be placed in the Memorial Garden at the Unitarian Universalist Society: East of Manchester, CT.
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