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Stephen Newell Jasperson

May 10, 1941 — October 5, 2016

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Stephen Newell Jasperson

*please note additional service has been planned in Worcester in May. See details in text below.

Stephen Newell Jasperson, age 75, of Plymouth, MN, formerly of Holden, MA , passed away on October 5th surrounded by his loving family.

Steve was born in Wisconsin Rapids, WI to Newell & Helen Jasperson and grew up on the family cranberry marsh. Growing up on the marsh cultivated a sense of curiosity and a love of freedom and exploration that continued throughout his life. He attended a two-room schoolhouse in grade school and was valedictorian of his class at Port Edwards High School. He earned his BS degree in physics from the U of Wisconsin, Madison, where he met his wife, Ann. He continued his education at Princeton University, where he earned his MS and PhD degrees in physics. He completed post-doctoral research at the U of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana before joining the physics department faculty at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA.

Steve was a physics professor at WPI for 39 years. He served as chair of the physics department for 10 years and as Secretary of the Faculty. In 2001, he received the WPI Board of Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Teaching. His research interests focused on solid state physics, including optically detecting plasma oscillations in metals and semiconductors. His work took his family across the country to spend many summers at NAWS China Lake and he spent a sabbatical at MIT’s Magnet Lab. Teaching was his true passion and during his last sabbatical, he developed a new course on astrophysics. He also taught courses on the universe and speech and sound to senior citizens who shared his interests through the WISE (Worcester Institute for Senior Education) program.

Steve was an accomplished pianist and sang low bass in the Worcester Chorus for 38 years. Through the chorus, Steve served as president and traveled with Ann on many international tours to Mexico and Europe. Steve was active in the Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester for 42 years. He was also a member of the Greater Worcester Humanists and UU Humanists.

Steve enjoyed running, hiking, and backpacking. He ran with the WPI Footpounders, a lunch-time running group, and enjoyed competing in hash races around the Worcester area. During his California research trips, the Sierra Nevada wilderness became a favorite area to hike and backpack. He climbed Mt Whitney in California 4 times by 3 different routes. He made his last Mt. Whitney climb with family and friends to mark his 60th birthday. More recently he enjoyed cycling on his recumbent trike, sometimes riding with the Pedal and Roll group in Minnesota.

Steve loved planning outdoor adventures and traveling cross-country with his wife and 2 daughters. There were many summer trips to national parks in all regions of the country as well as excursions to Mt. Desert Island, Maine, often stopping at a waterpark along the way. Through their cross-country drives, Steve and his family were able to visit almost every state in the continental US, sampling a wide array of contenders in the search for the best chocolate malt in America. Steve’s favorite activity in retirement was spending time with his grandkids, going on bike rides, putting up a tent, or enjoying family fun in northern Minnesota.

In 2012, Steve and Ann moved to Plymouth, MN to be near family after he was diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). In the face of many health challenges, Steve lived his life with courage, determination, and humor. He has been an inspiration to all around him through his perpetual curiosity, his efforts to learn new things, and his appreciation for life.

He will be missed by his wife of 51 years, Ann (Eckstein); daughters, Amy (Mike) Emsley and Laurie (Steven) Kovalik; grandchildren, Tyler and Kate Kovalik; father, Newell Jasperson; brother, Bill (Susie) Jasperson; sister, Jo Ann (Guy) Detlefsen; nephew, Robert Detlefsen and family; niece, Kristen Henslin and family; and other extended family members, colleagues, and friends. He was preceded in death by his mother Helen (Hernlem) Jasperson and sister-in-law Kathleen Jasperson.

The family is grateful for the support of doctors, nurses, and staff at the Struther's Parkinson Center. They especially are appreciative of the staffs of The Birches Health Center at Trillium Woods and Park Nicollet Hospice for their dedicated care.
Visitation will be held at Gearty-Delmore Funeral Chapel at 15800 37th Avenue N in Plymouth on Saturday, October 15th, at 1:30 pm, with a Reflection Service at 2:30 pm.

*Worcester service info: Memorial service Saturday, May 20th, 2017 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester, 90 Holden St., Worcester, MA. Visitation will begin at 2 pm with a service at 3 pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Steve’s memory to the Jasperson Legacy Fund at CurePSP (www.curepsp.org/jasperson) or Struther's Parkinson Center (www.parknicollet.com/specialtycenters/struthers-parkinsons-center/giving).