Obituary of E.J. Stevenson

E.J. Stevenson, 68, of Titusville, passed away Thursday morning, January 22, 2015, at UPMC Hamot in Erie surrounded by his family. Born on January 7, 1947 in Pittsburgh, E.J. was the oldest child of the late William and Martha Fleming Stevenson. On September 14, 1974, E.J. married Toni Strawbridge in Titusville. He spent his formative years in Titusville and graduated from Northwood School in Lake Placid, NY, class of 1966. In 1970, he earned his B.A. in government from Cornell University. Beginning in 1973, E.J. worked as a journalist and was the national news and sports editor at the Titusville Herald. He retired in 1988. E.J. served on the boards of the Titusville Area Hospital, the Titusville Area Hospital Foundation and Friends of Drake Well, Inc. As a member of the Titusville Rotary Club, E.J. served as President, First and Second Vice President, and Chairman of the District 7280 Grande Summer Youth Exchange and of the Bulletin Committee. He was a member of St. Titus Church, where he served as an usher. An avid golfer, E.J. belonged to the Union City Golf Club and the former Titusville Country Club. In 1988, E.J. became the Titusville Country Club’s Handicap Division Champion, and was the Member-Member Tournament Champion in 1978 and 1986. He was justifiably proud of his hole in one on the seventeenth hole at the Perry Park Country Club in Denver, CO, in May 1992 and his par on the seventh hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links, CA, in March 1997. His other interests included history, politics, sports, crossword puzzles and reading. E.J. also greatly enjoyed traveling and visiting his children and grandchildren. A lesser known fact about E.J. is that he claimed to have the second nicest legs in five counties, though he would never divulge who he felt had the nicest. E.J. is survived by his wife, Toni, of Titusville; four children: P.J. Stevenson and partner Sean Wishart of Fayetteville, WV; Martha Stevenson and husband Jason Pearson of Washington, DC; Rachel Stevenson and her dog, Rory, of Oneonta, NY; and Braddock Stevenson and wife Pantea of Vienna, VA and their two children, Roya and Kian Stevenson; a brother, Bill Stevenson and wife Molly of Denver, CO; two sisters, Anne Stevenson of Portland, OR; and Marcie Stevenson and husband Denny McNair of Oil City; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. No public calling hours will be observed. A memorial celebration will be conducted at 3:00 PM Sunday March 15, 2015 at St. Titus Church with Fr. John Beal as celebrant. The family asks that memorials be made to the Titusville Area Hospital, 406 W. Oak St., Titusville, PA 16354; Drake Well Museum, 202 Museum Lane, Titusville, PA 16354; or Union City Country Club Memorial Tournament, 9400 Club Rd., Union City, PA 16438. The Gordon B. Garrett Funeral Home, 303 N. Washington St., Titusville, is in charge of the arrangements. If you wish to leave condolences for the family, please go to www.garrettfuneralhomeinc.com.