Steven C. Charen ’71 *74

Our accomplished and well-traveled classmate Steve died July 4, 2021, in New York City after battling metastatic throat cancer. 

He came to Princeton from Belleville High School in New Jersey. He graduated with high honors in the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. He chaired the University’s Moratorium Committee and the New Jersey College Young Democrats, was elected to the UGA, and received a McConnell Foundation summer study grant. Steve lived with Ackerman, Emery, Hamilton, James, Robson, Sonenshein, and Tiryak in Dodge-Osborn and ate at Wilson College and the Princeton Inn. 

After graduation Steve worked on the McGovern campaign and helped construct an oceanfront house in Vancouver, British Columbia, with Robson. He earned an MPA at SPIA in 1974 and then a law degree at New York University in 1977. 

Steve resided in New York City the rest of his life, with a litigation practice at Patterson, Belknap for 14 years and then a solo civil litigation defense practice. He enjoyed and supported New York’s Public Theater, as well as commercial theater in Manhattan, and was a huge Yankees fan. He balanced his life in New York City with extensive travel to such destinations as the Pacific Northwest, Grand Canyon rapids, major European capitals, the south of France, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Tierra del Fuego, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Fiji. 

Steve was conversational on a wide variety of topics but had limited contact with ’71 classmates. Longtime friend Alvin Felzenberg *78 provided many details about Steve’s life. To his family and friends, the class extends its condolences.