Over the 25 summers John A. Stevens, P.E. spent at Farm & Wilderness he was known
for many things including, playing bag pipes, driving the yellow truck, and building many
kybos, cabins and tree forts. Born in 1921, John graduated from Princeton in ’43 and then
enlisted as an officer in the U.S. Navy in WWII. After the war, he resigned his commission
and became a lifelong Quaker. John was fascinated with exploring the self and belief
systems and considered himself a truth seeker until his death on September 3, 2017 at the
age of 96.
“I was a young girl at IB in the ’60s, and my main memory of John is that he just ASSUMED
that we could learn to use tools competently and confidently. It wasn’t a big deal,
we just did it, with his guidance. I now show my age, but from my perspective, something
I savor from this long-ago moment in time, is that girls at IB were given such freedom, rich
experiences and space to be ourselves. Finally, John had a constant twinkle in his big eyes;
he seemed to enjoy life and enjoy his role at camp. He was great!”
-Beth Falk (IB ’63-’68, TF ’70-’71)
“John was such a presence at F&W…his light will endure in all those he touched…how
wonderful that he got to live such a long and fulfilling life.”
-Karen (KK) Campbell (Hinckley) (IB ’65, TF ’69-’70)
“John was my boss during the summer of ’59 at Farm & Wilderness. He hired me as
the first-ever female tool-room “boy.” In terms of “women’s liberation,” I have to say that
John was admirably ahead of his time. He had confidence that I could learn to sharpen
saws and hand axes. I found that (with John’s good-humored and generous instruction) I
could, indeed, do those things. Not a bad way to give a young girl a confident start in life.
For that confidence (and also for a terrific summer with a terrific group of people), I am
grateful to him.”
-Alice (Longobardi) Givan (IB ’52-’55, TF ’57-’58)
“I was in John Stevens’ jurisdiction from ’72-’75 ages 11-14. (I never called him anything
and never heard him called anything other than “John Stevens.”) I can SEE him looking
at me waiting for my brain to work. And I can see my thirteen-year-old self searching my
brain for the operating system. His mark on my life is indelible.”
-Sarah Gates (IB ’72-’75)
“As a camper at TF I first learned about the care and handling of tools from John who was
fierce about having the right hand tools for the job and returning each one in working
order to its proper place in the tool room. His skills, dedicated teaching, amazing wisdom,
and Quaker work ethic provided high standards to all. He tempered his intensity with his
sense of humor which was infectious and generous. I am grateful to have had him as a
dear friend these many years.”
-Debby Lipkin Goldsmith (IB ’55, TF ’56-’57)