Stephen Vance ’69 P00 P03

Stephen Baird Vance ‘69 was born in Nice, France in 1946 and passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2001. Steve grew up all over the world and was comfortable in any culture. He followed his parents (Jean Chambers Vance ’38 and Sheldon Baird Vance ’39) to Carleton College and delighted in punning and politics. He joined the Teacher Corps during the Vietnam War and fell in love with teaching. He taught English literature and folklore in Connecticut, California, and Louisiana. He loved life, he loved to play, and he loved people. Steve was always up for a good laugh, especially when it was on him. He enjoyed photography, poetry, politics, Jungian psychology, cooking, bluegrass, reading books aloud to his family, and community organizing. He also threw himself into hobbies at which he … did not always excel, including camping, hiking, sailing, singing, and dancing. Steve laughed at his foibles and his own jokes. He had a warm heart. His students adored him, as did his family. His daughters Brigid ’00 and Natalie ’03 both graduated from Carleton College. They hope to send the next generation to Carleton, too! 

Written by daughter, Brigid Vance ’00