Remembrance: Steve Wessler
1951–March 10, 2025
By George Morris ’04
I had the honor, for it was a profound honor, to have been Steve’s student on several occasions during my time at COA. To me, he was a mentor, a friend, and an individual who shaped my professional and personal development in ways I will be forever grateful for.
Above all, however, Steve possessed a deeply resonant humanity, a humanity sometimes difficult to find in today’s world.
My first interaction with him was when taking his Conflict Resolution and Advocacy for Human Rights class. Professor Jamie McKown, my long-suffering advisor, believed the content of the course—but particularly Steve’s approach—would suit me well. Unsurprisingly, in both aspects Jamie was right.
This was not only because of the subject matter of his classes, but because of the empathy, lived experiences, and moral clarity that Steve taught them with.
I distinctly remember a conversation with Steve in the summer of 2022. I was based in Kosovo at the time, a decision itself influenced by him, and had jumped on a Zoom call to discuss another ambitious project I wanted his advice on. I always wanted Steve’s expert opinion. He didn’t know where I was at first, but as the conversation progressed it quickly became clear that, when he lived in Kosovo, he had stayed quite literally around the corner from where I was. With joy, Steve reeled off the names of local contacts and business owners he knew in that neighbourhood of Prishtinë. The bakery owner, he suggested, might even remember him.
The next day, armed with the five words of Albanian I knew, I walked in, greeted the owner, and then said tentatively, “Steve Wessler?” Surely this was too much of a coincidence. Instantly, though, the owner’s face lit up. After speaking animatedly in his mother tongue, he switched to broken English to say, simply, “A lovely, lovely man.” That, for me, said everything.
Steve was a trailblazer, yet never sought the limelight. Instead, his work was driven by a desire to help as many people as he could. Pure altruism if such a thing is possible. His profoundly moving piece on living with Alzheimer’s was the embodiment of this, bringing many—including this usually stoic Brit—to tears. As Steve himself wrote, “Behind the disease is a person,” and seeing and honouring that intrinsic humanity meant everything to him. He epitomized that belief, quietly and completely.
Even a year later, it is still difficult to use “was” when talking about this remarkable man. I hope Steve’s family and loved ones, whom he spoke of at length and with tremendous pride, can take comfort in knowing how many lives he touched and the deep esteem in which he was held by so many different people.
Rest easy, Steve. Thank you so much. We’ll keep your good work going from here.
