Obituary of Carl W. Stecher

Carl Wilhelm Stecher Jr. died peacefully with family by his side on October 22, 2025 at Ross Manor, his residence for the past 14 months. He was born at home in Alloway, N.J. on July 22, 1935, the second of 5 children to parents Carl W. Stecher Sr. and Ida (Swanson) Stecher.

Carl grew up on a farm in Jefferson N.J where his family grew vegetables to sell in nearby Philadelphia. He graduated from Pitman N.J. High School in 1953, had planned to be a farmer, but  soon went to work for the one company he ever worked for (20 years in N.J. and 23 years in ME.), the Bell Telephone Company. He held many jobs within the company from lineman to installer to central office and finally special services. In 1967, Carl was a key contributor to setting up communication links for the Glassboro Summit when President Johnson and Premier Alexi Kosygin met in New Jersey during the cold war.

Carl met Ruth DeCosta at church camp, and they were married on October 22, 1955. Together they raised a family of 5 and celebrated 56 years together until Ruth passed away in June 2011. They created a loving and caring home, and shared it with many. Like all large families it was often hectic and loud disagreements were known to happen. But in the end, with love, they made it work.

After Carl moved to Solstice Senior Living, he found another special friend and her family in Nora Gillis, who added special meaning and purpose to his final years.

Above all, Carl was a man of faith. He attended the Church of the Nazarene for over 70 years. He was a leader and often stepped up to support in whatever role was needed, including board member and multiple committees. But that is a tiny window into the man he truly was. Carl’s super power was his love of Jesus, and his love of people. He truly cared about people, and always tried to do the right thing. His entire life he had the ability to visit and help nearly anyone, anywhere, anytime, even as a patient traveling his dementia pathway. While he was often direct and sometimes crossed social norms, his genuine concern and love nearly always won people over. His entire life the most frequent way people described him to his family was “Your father is a nice man.”

Carl was predeceased by his wife Ruth, sisters Ida Anne, Carolyn, and brothers John and Raymond. He is survived by his sons Carl (Kim), Clark (Norma), Craig (Lisa), Curt (Tiffany) and daughter Carolyn Sproul (Vincent) as well as 15 grandchildren, and 6 plus great grandchildren.

The family would like to publicly thank the staff at Ross Manor for their above and beyond care. It was an up and down journey for 14 months and you folks became more than caregivers. Thank You.

A memorial service and celebration of life will be held 10:00 am Saturday, November 8, 2025 at the Church of the Nazarene,1465 Union St. Bangor, ME with refreshments to follow. Messages and memories may be shared with his family on the tribute wall of kileyandfoley.com.