REST IN PEACE
COBB-STEVENS, Richard M. 83, of Carlisle, passed away on Friday, July 6, 2018. He was the beloved son of Francis H. Stevens and Alma A. (Doyle) Stevens of Belmont, MA. He is survived by his sister Helen E. Ahearn, Falmouth, MA and his brothers Robert J. Stevens, Waltham, MA, Thomas C. Stevens, Concord, NH, and John T. Stevens, Quincy, MA. He is predeceased by his beloved wife Veda Cobb-Stevens, his brother Francis H. Stevens Jr. and his sisters Mary A. Cullinane, Grace A. Vinciguerra and Judith E. Erler.
Richard was born in Cambridge, MA, educated at St. Luke's Parochial School in Belmont, MA and graduated from Boston College High School in 1952. He entered the Jesuit Seminary at Shadowbrook in Lenox, MA. In March of 1956 he survived the fire that destroyed Shadowbrook. He completed his seminary training at the Jesuit Seminary in Plattsburg, NY. He received an A.B. degree from Boston College in 1958 and an M.A. in 1959. Richard was ordained a priest in Belgium in 1965. He received a Th.L. from the College of St. Albert de Louvain, Belgium in 1966 and a Ph.D. from Universit? de Paris in 1971. While studying in Paris he spent summers as a relief chaplain at Hahn Air Force Base, also at a parish drop-in center in Paris. He wanted to do something to serve his country as his brothers had all served in the U.S. Army.
In 1979 he left the Jesuits and married Veda Cobb, a fellow philosopher. His long and distinguished career at Boston College spanned 38 years. Richard was a beloved and highly respected Professor of Philosophy who not only made major contributions to the study of phenomenology and pragmatism, especially to connections between these two areas of thought, but also to his department and to the college at large. His academic accomplishments included numerous scholarly books, articles and reviews. In addition, he participated in many other scholarly activities in professional circles regionally, nationally and internationally. He participated in and led numerous college committees and boards, and he contributed to the reviews of outside college departments. He was also the recipient of many awards, grants and other recognitions. Above all, teaching was his forte. He loved the art of communicating with students, both undergraduate and graduate. He treasured their successful learning. More importantly Richard was a thoroughly decent and kind person, who had deep reserves of learning but wore them lightly, without arrogance, always downplaying his accomplishments and taking joy in his friends and family. He was the beloved husband of his wife and brother to eight siblings, as well as uncle to many nieces and nephews and "grunkle" to his grandnieces and nephews. He had a generous, contagious spirit and an irreverent sense of humor. His tangible contribution to the world can be measured in words and his place in the long arc of philosophical ideas, but his real legacy is the people he touched. He patiently suffered in his last weeks and days yet was always concerned about his caregivers. He received the sacraments several times during his illness and was ready to go to God at the end. He will be missed greatly by his family, friends, and colleagues as well as scholars around the world.
Visiting hours will be held from 4:00-7:00pm on Monday, July 16 at the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, 475 Main Street, Falmouth, MA. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00am on Tuesday, July 17 at St. Anthony's Church, 167 East Falmouth Hwy (Route 28), East Falmouth. Burial will be in the St. Joseph Cemetery, Gifford Street, Falmouth. The funeral Mass is live streamed at https:// stanthonycapecod.org for those who are unable to attend.
In lieu of flowers, gifts in memory of Richard M. Cobb-Stevens may be made in support of MGH Cancer Center at Emerson Hospital-Bethke. Checks can be mailed to: Massachusetts General Hospital c/o Development Office, Attn: Catherine Baten, 125 Nashua Street, Suite 540, Boston, MA 02114. Make the check out to Massachusetts General Hospital. Note in memory of Richard M. Cobb-Stevens. Ms. Baten will make sure the donation goes to MGH Cancer Center at Emerson-Bethke. Gifts online may be made at www.giving. massgeneral.org Fill out the online form. Under tribute information fill out Richard's name.
For online guestbook, obituary & directions, visit www.ccgfuneralhome.com. Chapman, Cole & Gleason
Published in The Boston Globe on July 13, 2018