DELMAR—Norbert Lee Stegemann, 59, of Delmar died peacefully the evening of June 9 at his home after a brief struggle with liver cancer.
Mr. Stegemann was surrounded by the artwork he loved, the Labradors he cherished and in the company of his longtime partner Christopher Cooper and good friend Linda Sweener. Born January 10, 1951 in Queens, he was the son of the late Joseph J. and Elfriede Pinapfel Stegemann. He was raised in Floral Park until 1960, when his family relocated to East Northport. He graduated from Commack High School in 1969.
Mr. Stegemann attended SUNY Farmingdale and graduated in 1971 with an associate’s degree in applied science (mortuary science).
He served in the US Army from 1971 to 1972 and remained in the Army Reserves until 1975.
Mr. Stegemann’s career in funeral service started when he purchased the former Hack Funeral Home in Schaghticoke in 1972 renaming it Stegemann & Hack Funeral Home. After residing in Valley Falls for many years, he purchased the Hall & Higgins Funeral Home in Stephentown and the Thomas M. Barber Funeral Home of Petersburgh in 1982. He later purchased the former Robson-Decker Funeral Home in Hoosick Falls and renamed it Robson-Stegemann Funeral Home.
In 1994 he sold the three funeral homes and resided in Slingerlands and Delmar. Even in retirement, he kept his funeral license current. He helped many families he had met as a funeral director, who had become his friends.
In 1996, Mr. Stegemann purchased the Surfside Inn, a 100-room hotel on Cape Cod Bay in Provincetown, MA. The hotel was sold in 2000. He enjoyed raising Seeing Eye dogs and Labrador Retrievers. A former communicant of Immaculate Conception Church in Hoosick Falls, Sacred Heart Church in Berlin and St. Joseph’s Church in Stephentown, Mr. Stegemann served as parish council president in all three churches. He served on many cemetery boards and was a member of the Hoosick Falls Kiwanis and the Unity Masonic Lodge #9 F&AM in New Lebanon.
Survivors include his longtime companion Christopher Cooper and his five Labrador Retrievers; his brothers, Ralph, Peter and Keith (predeceased by Dennis L.); and his special nephew Alexander K. Stegemann.
A Liturgy of Christian Death and Burial will co-celebrated Monday, June 14, 10 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Church, Route 43 & Grange Hall Road, Stephentown.
Calling hours are Sunday, June 13 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Hall & Higgins Funeral Home, 457 NY 43, Stephentown.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Guiding Eye for the Blind or the Norbert Lee Stegemann Scholarship at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in care of the funeral home, P.O. Box 9, Stephentown 12168.
