Upcoming Services
| Joan Behrmann | Pending | |
| Marge Samson |
Sun May 5th at 1:30 IRA KAUFMAN CHAPEL | |
| Louise Glattstein Oram |
Sun Apr 28th at 1:30 IRA KAUFMAN CHAPEL | |
| Doralee LeVine |
Sun Apr 28th at 12:00 CHAPEL AT CLOVER HILL | |
| William Sandy |
Sun Apr 28th at 11:30 IRA KAUFMAN CHAPEL | |
| Florence Lovinger Ostrow |
FUNERAL DETAILS
Lawrence Z. Stevens
Lawrence Z. Stevens, 86, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, died on 22 March 2016. The Funeral was held at IRA KAUFMAN CHAPEL on Friday, 25 March 2016 at 12:00 PM . Rabbi Tamara Kolton officiated. Click  to watch a video of the recorded service.The family of Lawrence Z. Stevens will be gathering through the evening of Saturday, March 26 at the residence, 31070 Applewood Lane, Farmington Hills Mi 48331. The phone number is 248-661-3802. The family will be gathering immediately following the funeral with a service and circle of memory at 5 p.m. On Saturday, the family will be gathering from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Family members include: Beloved husband of 51 years of Ina Stevens; Cherished father of Liz Stevens (Scott Ruthart) and Rachel Stevens; Loving Grandpa of Max Ruthart; Brother of the late Jerry Stevens; Brother-in-law of Rose Stevens, Russell and Kathy Sheh, and the late Edith and the late Nick Agay. Larry Stevens, educator and camp director, passed away peacefully on Tuesday. Larry was the co-founder, with Neal Schechter, of Camp Walden, a residential children's camp outside of Cheboygan, MI. Walden opened in the summer of 1960 with 40 campers and grew to be one of the most successful and well-respected camps in the Midwest. Larry and Neal ran Walden together through the early 90s. After Neal's retirement, Larry's wife Ina joined him as co-director. Prior to entering camping, Larry was a teacher who spent 15 years working in the Detroit Public Schools, including Owens Elementary and Cass Technical High School. He earned Masters Degrees in education and history from Wayne State, and led art history classes at Macomb Community College. In the late 60s, Larry opened the Lawrence Stevens Gallery in downtown Detroit's Harmonie Park. The gallery focused on southeast Michigan artists and gained a reputation for championing local talent. Though the gallery closed in 1970, Larry continued to make the visual arts a vital part of his life. He was a talented artist in his own right, filling drawing pads with African-inspired abstract figures and color-saturated landscapes. His preference was always for art that challenged rather than soothed. Larry found a spiritual home at the Birmingham Temple, and he was a decades-long member of the Jewish Community Center, where five days a week he played racquetball or squash, took schvitzes, booked the occasional manicure, and bantered in the locker room with the rest of the guys from the proverbial old neighborhood: for Larry, that was Buena Vista Street, across from MacCullough Elementary School, where he made many lifelong friends. Here he grew up the son of Orthodox Jewish Eastern European immigrants, the older brother of Jerry, living in a duplex with his mother's sister's family. As a father to his two daughters, Larry was a larger-than-life figure, lovable and funny, a joker with waitresses, a walking history lesson, and an impeccably dressed sophisticate. As a husband for 51 years to Ina, he was a life partner, business partner and best friend. After she suffered a debilitating accident seven years ago, Larry's loyalty to Ina grew all-encompassing. He rarely partook in any social event without her and wore out the seat cushion on the chair next to her bed. Larry's most public legacy will always be Camp Walden, the beautiful and magical place that he and Neal created 56 years ago. It continues to be cherished by thousands of former and current campers and staff who spent some of their best summers, made some of their best friends and learned so much about themselves at Walden, their second home. As camp's inimitable, intimidating, hilarious and passionate director, Larry made this happen. He was a singular role model, a charming, generous man, husband, father and grandfather who changed many lives for the better. It is suggested that those who wish to further honor the memory of Lawrence Z. Stevens may do so by making a contribution to: American Camp AssociationClick to Visit Charity Website |