JAMES EDWARD STEVENS, 96, of 1008 West Street, Pittsfield, and Port
Orange, Florida, died Friday, March 20, at his home in Florida.
Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, June 9, 1912, a son of Simon and Mary Kado
Stevens, a family of twelve, he was educated in Catholic Schools in Springfield and was
a 1931 graduate of Cathedral High School, where he was president of his class and
captain of the basketball team.
A World War II veteran, he served with the United States Army, assigned to the
141st Infantry, 36th Division, Texas, from July 28, 1943 to December 2, 1945, where he
was head of the machine gun section. On August 16, 1944, he earned the rank of
sergeant, and was awarded the purple heart and silver star for battle at the Invasion of
Southern France.
In 1941, Mr. Stevens founded Stevens World of Carpets, then located in the
Greystone Building on North Street. In 1943, he temporarily closed the business to
serve in the military, and in 1945 re-opened the business at 42 Summer Street and later
purchased that building. He retired in 1986 after 46 years. Mr. Stevens was a communicant of St Mark Church. He founded Our Lady of
Fatima Circle in 1951, and was a Faithful Navigator Fourth Degree of the Berkshire
County Assembly of the Knights of Columbus. He had also served as President of the
Catholic Youth Center.
Active in his community, as well, Mr. Stevens served as president of the Chamber
of Commerce in 1955, and on August 18, 1955, participated in the cutting of the ribbon
for the new Allendale Shopping Center. He served twenty-one years as a director of the
former Pittsfield National Bank, and served on the Berkshire United Way.
He had been a member of the American Legion Post 68 and a member of the
Veterans of Foreign Wars since 1946. He served as Deputy Director of the Pittsfield
Civil Defense and President of the Syrian American and Lebanese Club.
Mr. Stevens leaves his wife, the former "Robin" Roberta V. Steele, whom he
married October 7, 1985. His first wife, the former Leah Beaulieu, to whom he had been
married 47 years, died January 17, 1983.
Besides his wife, Mr. Stevens leaves a son, Roy J. Stevens and his wife, Denice,
of Rock Hill, South Carolina; a daughter, Suzanne M. Anderson of Seminole, Florida; a
brother, David J. Stevens and his wife, Mary, of Agawam; a sister, Florence J. David of
Springfield; five grandchildren, David Stevens and his wife, Nancy, of Pittsfield,
Christina Stevens of Chicago, and Michael Stevens of Pittsfield, Eric Gilbert and his
wife, Jennifer, of Missouri, and Leah M. Stevens of Seminole, Florida; and two
grandchildren from his extended family, Yen Nguyen and Cach Cao, both of Pittsfield;
and four great grandchildren, Jesse Eubanks of Seminole, Florida, Ashley Eubanks of
Seminole, and Joshua Stevens of Pittsfield, and Aiden Gilbert, of Missouri, and three
great grandchildren from his extended family, Han, Vu, and Rebecca Cao of Pittsfield;
as well as many nieces and nephews, and grand nieces and grand nephews.



FUNERAL NOTICE: Funeral services for JAMES EDWARD STEVENS, who died Friday, March
20, will be Saturday, April 4, with a Liturgy of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m., at St. Mark
Church, concelebrated by Rev. John C. Salatino, Pastor, and other members the Roman
Catholic priesthood. Burial will follow in St. Ann Cemetery in Lenox. Calling hours
will be Friday, April 3, from 4:00 to 7:30 p.m., at the Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers,
contributions in memory of Mr. Stevens may be made to the Marian Fathers at Eden Hill
in Stockbridge or to Food For the Poor (an agency in Florida) both in care of DERY
FUNERAL HOME, 54 Bradford Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201.

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