Deceased August 7, 2021
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In Memory
Jonathan Ralph Steinhart, of Spokane, Wash., died peacefully on Aug. 7 while hiking in Moscow, Idaho. He is survived by his beloved children, Jordan and Andrew, 17, who were the source of immense pride and joy.
Jon came to Amherst from the Pingry School in New Jersey. He loved Amherst and thrived as a scholar-athlete. He loved the Glee Club; this led to a lifelong passion for singing and many years with the Mastersingers. He excelled at track, setting a record in the 440.
While at Amherst, Jon joined and co-led Amherst Amigos—a group of volunteers from several colleges who spent summers in Mexican villages. Amigos was a transformative experience that opened Jon to a lifetime of service.
Jon completed his M.D. from Rutgers, an M.A.T. from Harvard and an M.P.H. from UW-Seattle. He was board-certified in both obstetrics-gynecology and family medicine and joined the U.S. Public Health Service in 1980, serving Native American communities in Ada, Okla., and Shiprock, N.M., for 30 years before moving to Spokane.
Always active, Jon loved the outdoors, sharing that passion with his sons. Like them, he was an Eagle Scout.
Jon had exceptional vitality, service, optimism, curiosity, resilience and faith. As a medical student in Newark, he was accosted and shot. Miraculously, he recovered. Later, having landed a prestigious residency in San Francisco, he had to leave the program, a great disappointment. He emerged from these traumatic experiences more resilient and hopeful.
Jon became deeply involved in the Episcopal Church, but his faith extended far beyond any denomination. He embraced hope and light even in dark times. His life was a fulfillment of the Terras Irradient mission of Amherst and a tribute, in this Bicentennial year, to the College he loved with “eye and mind and heart.”
Dick Aronson ’69