Stephen James Glassman was born September 4, 1946, in Hays, Kansas, and passed away in Edgewater, Florida, on May 19, 2020. He was the eldest son of Eugene Glassman and Marguerite Lesher Glassman, and the grandson of Jessie McConchie Lesher. Both his mother and grandmother were teachers, and Mrs. Lesher was one of the most influential people in his life.
After graduating from St. Joseph's Military Academy in Hays Kansas, Stephen joined the Peace Corps and spent 1966-1969 in the South Pacific, on the island of Peleliu in Micronesia. Upon his return to the USA, he worked as a labor contractor for Pioneer Corn and as a graduate assistant and lecturer at various higher ed institutions. In 1971, he achieved his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Kansas University, followed by an M.A. in English in 1981 from University of Southwestern Louisiana, and then, in 1983, an MFA in Creative Writing from Vermont College.
Stephen then embarked on a teaching and writing career, lecturing from 1981 to 1983 at University of Miami, and at Miami Dade Community College. From 1983-1984 he was a lecturer a University of Texas-Austin, before becoming Professor of Communication and Humanities at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach Florida in 1984.
He was a prolific author, from crime fiction--Blood on the Moon, 1990, and The Near Death Experiment, 2001--to travel narratives--On the Trail of the Maya Explorer: Tracing the Epic Journey of John Lloyd Stephens, 2003, and It Happened on the Santa Fe Trail, 2008. He also co-edited several anthologies of crime fiction, including Orange Pulp: Stories of Mayhem, Murder, and Mystery, 2000; Crime Fiction and Film in the Southwest: Bad Boys and Bad Girls in the Badlands, 2001; and Florida Crime Writers: 24 Interview, 2008.
Stephen's other passions included politics, and he served as vice chair of the Democratic Executive Committee of Volusia County, was a founding member of Sister Cities of Volusia, and served as president of the Florida College English Association. He loved the outdoors and travel, preferring to see the world via bicycle, canoe, kayak, or one or another well-worn trucks or campers. A self-proclaimed amateur naturalist, he tended a variety of citrus in his beloved backyard grove and enjoyed identifying the odd species of tropical plants growing along the Florida coastline. He also led several historical and cultural tours to Mexico and to Central and South America.
Stephen is survived by his sister, Martha Grace (Donald) Lang, of Hays, KS and sister-in-law Linda (Roland) Query, Firestone, CO; by nieces and nephews Elise Glassman, Lynn Krestel, Jill de la Pierce, Jude Lang, Jessica Lang, Jeffrey Lang, Kim Burdett, Kelli Geier, and Kendra Glassman; and by great-nieces and great-nephews Bethany, Jayme, Logan, Andrew, Samantha, Aiden, and Bane. He was preceded in death by his parents, Eugene "Dusty" Glassman and Marguerite Glassman, his sister Mary Elise Milene, and his brother Philip "Dugie" Glassman.
A memorial will be held when public health conditions allow and memorials will be designated at the family's discretion. Condolences may be left at https://stephenglassman.muchloved.com/