Michael Stern, an Aventura commissioner and a cancer warrior, dies at 57
Before he died on Thursday morning, Aventura Commissioner Michael Stern devoted much of his final years to spreading awareness of the signs and symptoms of colon cancer and the need to get checked early.
READ MORE: Aventura commissioner with colon cancer joins national campaign to spread awareness
“We were together for 27 years,” his wife Randy Lipman Stern wrote on Facebook Thursday morning. “Last night my warrior husband lost his 5 year battle to colon cancer. He fought with tremendous bravery and courage. He passed very peacefully at home, surrounded by love.”
When Stern’s doctor delivered his diagnosis in October 2019 — stage IV colorectal cancer — regret mixed with arduous chemotherapy treatments. Then he found formidable strength.
Cancer awareness warrior
Stern — also known for co-founding the lifestyle Aventura Magazine in 1998 with Stern Bloom Media to brand the young city as a competitor to Palm Beach — said he regretted giving in to fear. He waited until he was 52 to have a colonoscopy.
By that point, signs and symptoms, including pain, had already begun. He said he wished he had tested at the recommended age 45 when an earlier discovery may have caught the cancer before it advanced.
“I was already making plans to say goodbye. I was in a very dark place thinking that I wasn’t going to be here for another few years, because it was stage IV,” Stern told the Miami Herald in an interview in February 2023, recalling his feelings from four years earlier after learning he had colon cancer.
Stern died at his family-filled Aventura home around 1:45 a.m. July 25. He was 57.
Stern was an ambassador in South Florida for Fight Colorectal Cancer to inspire others to undergo timely screenings and other preventive measures. He advocated for cancer research funding in Washington. He was one of 15 survivors who had their photo and stories displayed on outdoor digital boards next to 27,500 blue flags planted on the National Mall in Washington in March 2023. The flags represented the expected cases of colorectal cancer in people under 50, according to Fight CRC.
“Michael Stern epitomized what it meant to be a public servant. Serving together was a privilege, but being his friend was truly an honor. We will ensure that his work lives on and continues to save lives,” Aventura Mayor Howard Weinberg said in a statement.
Schooling and communication
Born June 18, 1967, in Long Island, New York, Stern moved to South Florida when he was 10. He graduated from North Miami Beach Senior High in 1985 and from the University of Florida in 1989 with a bachelor’s in business administration.
When Stern co-founded Aventura Magazine it was initially named Discover Aventura for the first few years.
“We didn’t want to be about discovering a city, but about upscale living and an upscale image,” Stern told the Herald in 2001. He also published the Aventura Phone Book. He tapped that expertise in local communications to seek city government office in 2005.
“What sets me apart from other candidates is that I have a pulse on what’s going on in the community,” he told the Miami Herald in 2005 when he first ran for a seat on the commission. His tenure would run from 2005 to 2014 and again from re-election in 2022 until his death.
In a competitive campaign in 2005, Stern, then 37, said one of his better traits was listening.
“I don’t promise anything specific,” Stern said at the time. “I want to promise that I will make the best decision for every business, resident and visitor by working as a team. I am one person, and I can’t make any decisions without the consent of the other commissioners.”
Among his contributions to the city, Stern, who loved cycling, travel cruising and skiing, founded the Aventura Police Department Community Ambassador Panel to serve as a bridge between the city’s police department and the community.
“Michael exuded a quiet elegance. He personified all that makes Aventura great. He fought a valiant battle against colon cancer and carried a life-saving message to all who would listen,” Commissioner Linda Marks said on Thursday.
In addition to his public service and media career, he worked in real estate. Since 2021, Stern had been a director of investor relations at Jeffreys Capital, a real estate investment firm in Aventura, and he was a Realtor at Deal Flow Realty, according to his LinkedIn profile.
“Michael was a tireless commissioner for Aventura,” said fellow City Commissioner Amit Bloom. “But for me, he was my business partner, my friend, my brother. I’ll cherish the love and experiences we shared for the rest of my life.”
Survivors and services
Stern’s survivors include his wife Randy Lipman Stern; children Jordan and Ryan; and his mother, Roz.
A funeral will be at noon Sunday, July 28, at Aventura Government Center, 19200 W. Country Club Dr.
“For decades, I have been proud to be Michael’s friend. He was a tireless fighter for good and dedicated much of his life to helping others,” said Aventura City Commissioner Billy Joel. “The world is a little darker with him no longer in it. He will never be forgotten.”
