Ursula Stechow1911 - 2008
One of her grandchildren jokingly said that Ursula was one of the three most powerful beings in the universe, along with Yoda from Star Wars and Mr. Miyagi from Karate Kid. Indeed, Ursula Stechow was a powerful figure in Oberlin for many years. Her influence was felt both here and abroad. When she saw that something needed fixing in the city or on the campus, she made the call that got it fixed. When someone needed to be heard by an influential music critic, she made certain it would happen. In spite of her tiny size, Ursula commanded attention, demanded action, and was loved and respected in this community and around the globe.
No one was less pretentious than Ursula. She treated everyone with equal respect, but she also had equally high expectations of everyone, regardless of position or station in life. As a beloved French teacher at Langston Middle School in Oberlin, she was an inspiration for many young minds to pursue careers in teaching French. She also taught French and her native German to other interested students of all ages. Nobody understood the English language better than Ursula, who was often fierce and quick with corrections.
Ursula’s caring nature for animals (she was once dubbed “the bird woman of Oberlin”) and for friends she helped through their elderly years, her recognition and sponsorship of talented musicians, and her commitment to the arts made her a beloved part of the Oberlin community. But nothing in life was more important to her than music. Music was Ursula’s soul. A fine violinist, she enjoyed playing chamber music with family and friends. She was also a “consumer” of fine music performed by others, sometimes critical but always understanding and appreciative. And she loved and believed in Solfege as the basis for teaching and learning music.
Ursula Hoff was born in Hanover, Germany on February 15, 1911. She met her future husband, Wolfgang Stechow, when he was conducting the orchestra in which she played at the University of Goettingen, Germany, where she was studying medicine. They were married in 1932 and emigrated to the United States in 1936, when Dr. Stechow’s career was threatened by the Nazi government. After four years in Madison, Wisconsin, the Stechow family moved to Oberlin where Wolfgang was a professor of Art History.
Ursula passed away on January 16, 2008, at the age of 96. She was preceded in death by her husband in 1974. She is survived by her son, Hans-Axel (Norma) of Oberlin, daughters Barbara Harris (Bob) of Lansing, Michigan, and Nicola Memmott (John) of Oberlin, nine grandchildren, six great grandchildren, and one great, great grandchild.
The family is planning a memorial service for sometime in the future. Memorial contributions may be made to the Oberlin Baroque Performance Institute - Oberlin Conservatory of Music, 77 West College St., Oberlin, Ohio 44074-1588, the Oberlin Schools Endowment Fund, 153 North Main St., Oberlin, Ohio 44074, or OASIS Animal Shelter, PO Box 11, Oberlin, Ohio 44074-0011.
Posts
