Richard Hall "Rick" Steckel

Our hearts are heavy as we share that Richard Hall Steckel ("Rick") passed away on March 31, 2026, at the age of 81. Rick was a loving husband, father, brother and friend. Born in Milledgeville, Georgia to Dr. Richard Hoch Steckel and Blanche Hall, Rick was the second eldest of four children. The family settled on a 100-acre working farm in Bloomfield, New York in 1950 near where his father worked as a supervising psychiatrist at the Rochester State Hospital.

He attended Oberlin College, the University of Oklahoma (where he met his future wife), and the University of Chicago, where he received a Ph.D. in Economics in 1977. Hired by Ohio State University in 1974, he proceeded through the ranks from instructor to full processor by 1989. Thereafter he received numerous awards for his research and teaching, including the Distinguished University Lecturer (1998); the Joan N. Huber Faculty Fellow (1999); and Distinguished University Professor (2009). In 2011 he was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and in 2022 he was elected to the board of the National Bureau of Economic Research. He was elected president of the Economic History Association and the Social Science History Association. During his career he wrote or edited six books and over 100 referred journal articles.

His research is best known for its interdisciplinary character, blending Economics, Anthropology and History in departments where he held appointments. He was a pioneer in organizing research teams that utilized health indicators on skeletal remains to measure and analyze health aspects of the quality of life in the distant past. The results were published in Steckel et al., The Backbone of History (Cambridge University Press, 2002) and Steckel et al., The Backbone of Europe (Cambridge University Press, 2019).

Rick and his wife Barbara of 53 years lived for 46 years in Columbus, Ohio and 7 years in Northbrook, Illinois. They traveled widely nationally and internationally, to every state in the U.S. and some 30 countries. Rick enjoyed horses, the outdoors, and sports - including playing soccer, basketball and baseball in high school, and baseball in college. He enjoyed classical music, jazz, the blues and strolling through various art museums. He was predeceased by his brother, Martin in 2023 and is survived by his wife Barbara, sisters Christina and Laura, children Sarah and Anna, and grandson Nikola.

He leaves behind a legacy of curiosity, perseverance, and humor, and being deeply cherished by his family and friends.

Arrangements entrusted to Chicagoland Cremation Options in Schiller Park, Illinois.