John Mitchell Stevens Jr., 93, psychiatrist and analyst

John Mitchell Stevens Jr., 93, formerly of Wynnewood, a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst in Philadelphia for many years, died Tuesday, Oct. 7, of complications of dementia at Cornwall (Pa.) Manor.

He had moved to the Lebanon County retirement facility in 2001.

Dr. Stevens was born in Snowshoe, Centre County. He graduated from Reedsville High School in 1939. He was reared in a series of coal towns in Pennsylvania where he spent time with his grandmother, who gardened and raised chickens.

It was there that he learned country wisdom and a down-to-earth way of looking at life, said his daughter, Suzanne.

He received a bachelor's degree in pre-medicine from DePauw University in Indiana in 1943 and his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1946. From 1943 to 1950, Dr. Stevens served in the Army as a medical officer. Part of his military service included his medical training at Penn.

Later, he completed specialized training at the Institute of the Philadelphia Psychoanalytic Society.

Dr. Stevens' specialty was psychiatry and psychoanalysis, which he practiced in Philadelphia until retiring in 1988. He was known for developing a psychiatric treatment model for adolescent patients during his stay at the Institute of the Pennsylvania Hospital in West Philadelphia.

"At the time, the adolescents were mixed in with the other patients," his daughter said. "He was active in setting up the milieu therapy, in which all the aspects of life at the hospital, interactions with relatives, staff - everything in life - could be used as therapy. You never knew what would get through to the kid."

When Dr. Stevens wrote his memoirs in 2009, he mentioned being hired to help set up psychiatric counseling for students at Penn's Student Health Center.

"That was a new idea just getting going in 1955," his daughter said. "He was a pioneer."

Dr. Stevens was an active member of the Philadelphia Psychoanalytic Society for most of his professional life. The Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society named him among its distinguished life fellows.

After retiring, Dr. Stevens continued to help out for several months at a time at various hospitals in Pennsylvania. He stopped in 1998.

Dr. Stevens was a former member of Overbrook Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia and a member of the United Methodist Church of Cornwall. Known for his rich, deep bass voice, he sang in choirs and enjoyed music from his teens until he was 90.

"How low can you go, John?" his friends would ask.

Always ready to explore, Dr. Stevens took his family sailing on the Chesapeake Bay in his sloop, Barcy, named for his grandmother. He and his wife, Marjorie Jones, whom he married in 1944, traveled the United States in their recreational vehicle. They also toured Europe, staying at Elderhostels along the way.

During his 13 years at Cornwall, Dr. Stevens loved gardening, tending the majestic trees on the facility's campus, and wood carving. He read poetry, mysteries, the Bible, and scientific literature.

"Wherever John lived, he reached out to his neighbors with compassion and curiosity," his family said in a tribute. "He had an expression on his face that a young child would have on waking up: 'Well, hi, look who's here.' "

In addition to his daughter and wife of 70 years, Dr. Stevens is survived by a son, John Alan; daughters Sally Jean, Constance Ruth Carter, and Patricia Marie; eight grandchildren; a great-grandchild; a nephew; two nieces; and a sister.

A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, at Zerr Memorial Chapel at Cornwall Manor, 1 Boyd St., Cornwall. Burial is private.

Donations may be made to Partners in Health/Ebola Programs via www.pih.org/, or to International Medical Corps/Ebola via https://internationalmedicalcorps.org/.

610-313-8102