Stephen Paul, age 79, passed away on the evening of Tuesday, August 18, 2026. He died peacefully at his home surrounded by his family in Bellbrook, Ohio.
Born in Waterloo, Iowa, Stephen grew up in the Midwest. He received his undergraduate degree from Grand Valley State University, a master’s degree in both medieval studies and library science from Western Michigan University, and a PhD in philosophy from St. Louis University. He worked as an academic and librarian for many years before becoming the director of libraries at Wright State University in 2002, a position he held until his retirement in 2016. He also served as the university’s associate vice president of international education—a role that perfectly suited his love of globetrotting. His travels took him around the world to places that included China, Iraq, Turkmenistan, Australia, Vietnam, Patagonia, Spain, Austria, and Cuba.
Stephen was an athlete, one who thrived on setting challenges for himself and then meeting them. He ran two marathons in his thirties, was an avid weightlifter, and occasionally invited friends and family members to participate in push-up contests—which he inevitably won. In his later years, he would walk miles every day, exploring the neighborhoods around his home with his beloved dog, Phil.
Everyone who met Stephen was struck by his intellectual prowess and his insatiable curiosity about the world. He was sometimes hazy about practical details, but his memory for facts was nearly flawless. He was, at heart, a philosopher, forever wrestling with questions about consciousness and the nature of human experience. He quoted Immanuel Kant, Edward Gibbon, David Hume, and Thomas Hobbes to his family at the dinner table. But his interests were wide-ranging. He studied history, politics, and modern poetry. He loved classical music, and he had a soft spot for sentimental country songs. He taught himself Spanish, French, and German. After retiring, he spent his mornings working at the breakfast table, where he wrote several novels. His library was overflowing. After becoming ill with pancreatic cancer, he turned to Schopenhauer’s writings to help him better grapple with his concerns about his own mortality. And even in the last few weeks of his life, he continued to buy and read more books, hoping to learn as much as he possibly could, right up to the very end.
Stephen’s greatest enthusiasm, though, was for people. He charmed strangers and made friends wherever he went, entertaining them with his stories, passionate opinions, and often devious sense of humor. He adored his wife, and when once asked at a job interview to name his proudest accomplishment, he responded, “My daughters.”
Stephen was preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Kathryn Foster. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Barbara; his two daughters, Alyson (Michael Fry) Foster and Rebecca (Mark Burns) Foster; his three grandchildren, Lucy, Norah “Charlie,” and Sam; and his two sisters, Vicki Walton and Joellen (Steven) Hoogerwerf.
A celebration of life service will be at 2 pm on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at Conner & Koch Funeral Home in Bellbrook. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
