Stephen Treffman

Stephen Arthur Treffman — Steve to those closest to him — left this world peacefully at 2:28 a.m. on February 28, 2026, the day after his 87th birthday.

He was born February 27, 1939, in Los Angeles, California, to David and Mildred (Nussbaum) Treffman. The family moved to Chicago while he was a young child, and it was there that he made his home and built his life.

Music early became essential to Stephen. He studied French Horn as a child, and as a student at Hyde Park High School, he played in the orchestra and concert band and served as student conductor during his senior year. He was also a member of the Chicago Youth Symphony, Chicago’s North Side Symphony and the Interlochen National Music Camp Orchestra. At age 17, he received the only superior rating in French horn awarded in the Chicago City-Wide High School Competition.

In college, Stephen participated in several musical organizations at the Oberlin College Conservatory. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Oberlin College in 1961, a Master of Arts in International Studies from Stanford University in 1964, and later completed postgraduate study in Adult Education at the University of Chicago.

He loved his country and enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves, an organization for which he was temperamentally not well suited but to which he gave his all. When he completed basic training, his platoon named him the “person they most wanted to have in a foxhole with them.” They admired the tenacity with which he applied himself to meeting the physical and emotional demands placed on the soldiers, and they were grateful for his commitment to supporting the people around him.

Over the course of his career, Stephen worked as an educator, writer, organizational consultant, and investor. He published articles on literacy, adult education, training in organizations, Chicago history, and Latin American history, politics, and economics. His personal research interests included genealogy, the social and political history of Chicago, adult and technical education, and early photography. He developed a particular fascination with 3-D photography, building an extensive collection of stereographs and View-Master slides and viewers.

Stephen was a Board Member of Chicago’s Hyde Park Historical Society, serving as the Archivist for 20 years. He wrote many articles for their newsletter and created exhibits at their headquarters that highlighted the strengths and challenges of the community. His deep love of Hyde Park, intense curiosity, and historical research skills led him to seek out and find items of historical relevance. His efforts enlarged and enriched the Society’s archives which are now housed in the Special Collections of the University of Chicago Library.

Stephen married Marcia Beth Sack on July 17, 1966 in Chicago, Illinois. They met while both were working at the Cook County Department of Public Aid, and they regularly discovered that both of them were in the office on weekends to complete work that they simply could not leave undone. His devotion to Marcia was lifelong and unmistakable. He never missed an opportunity to tell anyone and everyone how smart and amazing she was and how marrying her was the best decision he had ever made in his life!

Stephen’s dedication to his daughter, Lia Miriam Treffman, manifested itself in the active role he took in her life - accompanying elementary school camping trips, chaperoning Chicago Children’s Choir concert tours, and faithfully attending high school softball games and cross-country meets. After Lia moved to Indianapolis following college, Stephen remained her proudest supporter, driving from Chicago to Indianapolis to attend every Indianapolis Women’s Chorus concert in which she performed.

He and Marcia moved to Indianapolis in 2013. The work of the Chorus and its Mission to “purposefully use music and song to move toward a world that is just, equitable and accessible to all” resonated deeply for him as he came to know and love many of the singers, Directors, and Accompanists, and they loved him in return.

When Lia married Christin Collins on February 29, 2024, Stephen was honored to host the ceremony in the family sunroom and was overjoyed to welcome another daughter into his family and his heart.

The final six years of Stephen’s life included dealing with the vicissitudes of Lewy Body Dementia. In spite of this cruel disease, Stephen continued to love life and his family, find beauty in the changing seasons, experience joy in music, and share love, laughter and friendship with those who were fortunate enough to have crossed paths with him. Stephen met every challenge Lewy provided with the grace and love which characterized his whole life. Marcia and Lia were with him when he died, and seeing him calm and comfortable is a gift they will cherish forever.

Stephen was preceded in death by his parents, six aunts, beloved mother-in-law Lillian (Lavine) Sack, dear sister-in-law, Miriam Sack (Joe) Eberhardt, niece Rebecca Eberhardt, and his godfather, Friz Freeling, creator of the Pink Panther (a connection that inspired his lifelong collection of Pink Panther memorabilia).

Stephen is survived by his beloved wife, Marcia (Sack) Treffman; daughter Lia; daughter-in-law Christin Collins; grandchildren Alex Collins and Britany Rucker; great-grandchildren Elliana Rucker, Serenity Earley, and Laniyah Earley; nephew Stephen (Carrie) Eberhardt; niece, Elizabeth (Anthony) Mako; many grand-nieces, grand-nephews and cherished cousins.

The logistics of a memorial service are still to be determined, but most likely will be a virtual gathering via Zoom. Stephen’s last spoken wish to Marcia the day before he died was: “After I am gone, please thank everyone who was kind to me and cared for me.” That would be all of you reading this, his doctors, the nurses and social worker of Luminary Hospice, Kim Wagner of ComForCare and Melrita Lewis and her staff at Shining Star Private Duty Senior Care.

Should anyone wish to honor Stephen’s memory, a contribution to the Indianapolis Women’s Chorus, (www.indianapoliswomenschorus.org/dbpage.php?pg=inddonate); the Lewy Body Dementia Association (https://lbda.org/donate) or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (https://www2.breakthrought1d.org/site/Donation2?2376) would be appreciated.