Lorna Rose Stein, a compassionate mother, grandmother, foster mother, and caretaker to all those she hosted, mentored and taught through forty years of service teaching, scouting and other youth programs, has passed at the age of 78. A celebration of life gathering will be held 4-6:00 p.m. Monday, October 6, 2025 at Strode Funeral Home in Stillwater.

Born in the Berwyn area of Chicago in 1947, Lorna was raised by her loving mother and grandmother before attending university in South Dakota, where she majored in Biochemistry. She later earned a Master of Science in Educational Administration from Concordia University (1973) and later pursued a Master's in Educational Administration from Oklahoma State University (1990).

After moving to Stillwater with her family in 1986, she commuted to teach at Emerson Alternative and John Marshall High School in Oklahoma City and received the President's Award for Teaching. Through leadership and grant writing she supported many programs, including Pleasant Valley School, PBS NOVA Science, Academic Decathlon, science fairs, and the Girl Scout Council, to name just a few!

Her curiosity, passion for adventure, and selfless commitment to helping all those in need defined every moment of her life. She was a maker of stories - which she also loved to warmly tell friends and strangers alike!

When home caring for her best friend, world-travel companion, and beloved mother, Vera, or tirelessly pursuing the dreams of her children - no matter how big or small - she appreciated the challenge and laughter of trying whether we win or lose. The lives she has changed with her kindness remain an inspiration to those she leaves behind: her children, Heather and Edward; grandchildren, Andrew and Bohdan; dog, Bandit and cat, Mu.

We ask that in lieu of customary remembrances, you follow her example of helping one another or support causes she embraced, which include education, animal welfare, domestic violence networks, women's and children's shelters, and programs that help at-risk youth make the connections they need in life to succeed.