WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Erwin August Stuebner Jr., MD, passed away, age 80, on Aug. 20, 2025, at Berkshire Medical Center from the effects of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Dr. Stuebner was born in 1944 in Philadelphia, the son of Erwin August Stuebner and Frances Quinn Stuebner. He spent his childhood in Kenilworth, Ill. He graduated from Dartmouth College with an AB in 1966, earned his medical degree from Northwestern University in 1970, and did his residency at the University of Michigan Hospital. From 1974 to 1976, he was a major in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, serving as assistant chief of medicine at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. In 1976, he joined the Williamstown Medical Associates in Williamstown and practiced there until he retired in 2008.
While at Northwestern, he met Jane Sigrid Christensen, whom he quickly realized he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Although it took her a bit longer to come to the same conclusion, they were married on Sept. 21, 1968. Together, they had three wonderful sons. Eric, Andrew, and Scott.
While in active practice, he served on many hospital committees and was chairman of the Department of Medicine at North Adams Regional Hospital from 1991 to 2006. After retirement, he was the medical director of VNA & Hospice of Northern Berkshire until 2015.
He was active in the Massachusetts Medical Society, serving on the Board of Trustees from 2000 to 2009. He also served on the Board of Directors of Coverys, an international medical professional liability company based in Boston, of which he was vice chairman from 2014 to 2023.
Three aspects of his life were most important to him. The first was his family and dearly cherished friends. He and Jane had a happy, loving life together until illness intervened. It was Jane's love and support that allowed him to accomplish his goals in medicine. His sons both tolerated and embraced his sometimes peculiar sense of humor. Together they enjoyed travelling and adventures, such as river rafting, bungee jumping, sky diving, roller coasters, and getting to as many baseball parks as possible.
The second was his medical practice and his patients. Never a 9-to-5 doctor, he considered many of them as part of his family, getting to know them as individuals as well as their medical needs. Around town, he was affectionately known as "Doc" and couldn't walk down Spring Street without running into several people wanting to say hello.
Thirdly, in retirement, he was pleased to give something back to his community, serving on several boards, e.g., the Northern Berkshire EMS, Williamstown Board of Health, Berkshire Health Systems, Williamstown Rural Lands, and others.
Fittingly, the awards that meant the most to him were his Massachusetts Physician of the Year from the Massachusetts Medical Society in 2010 and the Faith Scarborough Award for Community Service to Williamstown in 2014.
Besides Jane, he leaves his sons Eric, Andrew (Cristina), Scott (Jessica) and his beloved grandchildren: Nolan, Sadie, and Emma Stuebner, Chace and Samuel Stuebner, and Zachary and Gabriel Downes. He also leaves his dear sister, Mary Coonen, brother-in-law Peter Damon and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother, James, and sister, Anne.
There will be no calling hours, and burial will be private.
Donations in his memory may be made to the non-profit of your choice. Special consideration can be given to one of the non-profits on which he faithfully served as a board member, or to Vista Life Innovations, based in Madison, Ccnn. To add to the Book of Memories, please visit www.flynndagnolifuneralhomes.com.