Michael Denich Steirer

Michael Denich Steirer, age 87, of Medina, Ohio passed away on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. He was born on January 29, 1939, in Cleveland, Ohio to Barbara and Victor Steirer.

Michael Denich Steirer - husband, father, teacher, coach, writer -

Michael started school in 1944 at Louis Agassiz in Cleveland, transferred to St. Ignatius Elementary, then to St. Philip and James. He attended St. Edward High, moved to Parkview Village, and graduated from Fairview High School in 1957. He started college at St. Francis in P.A., graduated from Defiance College in 1961, attended John Carroll, earned a master’s from Cleveland State, and pursued doctoral studies from the University of Akron.

Spanning a career of over 50 years, Mike began teaching at St. Mary of the Falls where he helped organize and coach the school’s first football program, moved on to Cathedral Latin in 1965, then to Shuler Jr. High in Cleveland, when he met his future wife, Janice, a second-grade teacher at Mark Twain Elementary. Mike taught English and coached basketball. Upon earning a graduate degree, Mike became an administrator at Elyria High School and a teacher at Westwood Junior High. Taking early retirement, Mike continued to teach a full schedule of English Composition courses at Lorain Community College in the morning and at Lorain Community College in the afternoon. Additional assignments included teaching at the Grafton Prison Farms and NASA with brief appointments at Baldwin-Wallace, Akron University, and Kent State. During those years, he won scholarships, grants, and fellowships and was named Educator of the Year. He was a member and secretary-treasurer of Phi Delta Kappa, an educational fraternity in Cleveland. Mike was a published writer, co-authoring two textbooks and contributing noteworthy articles to leading professional and academic journals. During the summer and breaks between teaching, Mike and his wife traveled to over 50 countries, enriching their own lives as well as others around them. Mike’s hobbies included collecting military guns and cartridges, contributing dozens of opinion pieces to local newspapers on educational issues and international events, and playing with his grandchildren. Mike was also a student of history and compiled a genealogical study of his family.

Mike will be remembered for his love of his family. He is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Janice; loving daughters Jennifer Dieringer (Zak), Laura Gehlmann (Michael), Susan Steirer (Amie Pico), Meredith Gunzler (Doug); grandchildren Christian and Elaina Gehlmann, Paige and Jacob Gunzler; sister Mary Fran Steirer; and brother Joe Steirer (Terry).

Visitation will be held Thursday, October 22, 2026, from 4:00–7:00 pm at Waite Funeral Home, Medina Chapel. A funeral Mass will take place on Friday, October 23, 2026, at 12:00 pm at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Medina. Interment will follow at Spring Grove Cemetery. Memories and condolences may be shared at www.waitefuneralhome.com.