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Joseph Leland Stearns, beloved son, nephew, cousin, uncle, husband, friend, musician and artistic collaborator, died on Oct. 30, 2026, at his home in Chicago.
He was born on Jan. 27, 1974, at Hutzel Hospital in Detroit, Mich., to Margery Brown Stearns and Joseph L. Stearns, III.
Music, art and travel captured Joe's imagination early in his childhood in Michigan, where he spent his summers at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, played in a band and traveled to Russia as an exchange student in 1990.
After graduating from Groves High School in Birmingham in 1992, Joe headed to Chicago, Ill., to study theater at Columbia College under the legendary Sheldon Patinkin. He put that training to work in Chicago's growing storefront theater scene, co-founding Signal Ensemble Theatre with Ronan Marra and Christopher Prentice, whose productions drew much critical praise and awards.
Joe met his future wife, Elizabeth (Liz) Bagby, when they played twins in The Comedy of Errors. In the ensuing years, they worked together on some 20 productions. In recent years, he joined his mother's talent company, Productions Plus, in Bingham Farms, Mich., serving on the executive leadership team.
Joe had a great interest in wines of the world, and after a year of intensive study, he became a certified sommelier. He was also an avid fly fisherman who loved a day on a stream with a fly rod in hand, especially if it ended with something on the grill at his family cabin in Pennsylvania.
Joe is survived by his wife, Liz Bagby, of Chicago, Ill.; his mother, Margery Dosey, and stepfather, Michael Dosey, of Ypsilanti, Mich.; and his father, Joseph L. Stearns, III, and stepmother, Patty LaNoue Stearns, of Troy, Mich. Joe also leaves behind a beloved extended family, as well as dear friends across the country.
Joe was preceded in death by his stepfather, Dr. Seymour Krevsky; his paternal grandparents, Joseph L. Stearns, Jr. and Nell Stearns; and his maternal grandparents, Dr. John L. Brown and Jane Brown.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2026, at Gedon Funeral Homes and Cremation Services, LLC., 121 W. Main St., Lock Haven, Pa. The service will be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person.
Interment will follow at Rest Haven Memorial Park, Lock Haven, Pa.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Joe's memory may be made to Theatre Harrisburg, theatreharrisburg.com
Thoughts and memories can be made at the Gedon Funeral Homes Facebook page or www.GedonFuneralHomes.com