By Sun staff
Known as a ‘man of the modern Back Bay,’ Mr. Stephen Toby Kunian died with his family close by on Dec. 20. He was 85.
Mr. Kunian lived on Marlborough Street for nearly 58 years – first in an apartment and then in his beloved townhouse . He was an active participant in the evolution of the Back Bay, serving on the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay board; as NABB’s appointee to the Back Bay Architectural Commission; and as one of the first male members of the Garden Club of the Back Bay.
Susan Prindle, a longstanding NABB board director and the former longtime chair of the organization’s Architecture Committee, first met Mr. Kunian and his wife, Lois, when the couple were tenants in a building on Marlborough Street owned by Prindle and her late husband. When the Kunian family expanded, they relocated a few blocks to the west on Marlborough Street.
In that time, Mr. Kunian left his mark while serving as a NABB board member and as that group’s appointee to the Back Bay Architectural Commission, according to Prindle.
“During that time, [Mr. Kunian] encouraged NABB to establish a standing architecture committee, so that neighbors could have a forum to comment on proposed projects in the neighborhood. Fifty years later, that committee is still involved in protecting our neighborhood from inappropriate development,” Prindle wrote of the lasting impact Mr. Kunian made on the Back Bay.
Additionally, Mr. Kunian served on the City of Boston Conservation Commission for more than 20 years. He was also an enthusiastic supporter of the St. Botolph Club and The Boston Athenaeum.
After practicing law for more than 50 years, Mr. Kunian enjoyed his retirement sitting in his library, enjoying his view of Marlborough Street with a glass of wine. He was an avid reader, a world traveler, a fan of classical music, and a connoisseur of Asian ceramics. He will be remembered for his wit and general good nature.
Tony Bordon, who lived across the street from the Kunians for almost 25 years, fondly recalled his long friendship with Mr. Kunian.
Bordon wrote in an email: “I’ll always remember Stephen as someone who loves to get together with friends. There was no generation gap between him and me, including my kids (20 and 23). He had a fabulous wine collection and always eager to share. His recall was incredibly impressive. I remember just before my wife and I took a trip to Italy last year, Stephen, in true form, recalled every entrée from every restaurant he dined at and the Italian names of streets as directions. Stephen was also our family lawyer. Always on call to offer advice. He was also a big fan of my wife. The prenup he drafted for us did not need an opposing lawyer to review! Stephen will be remembered as working hard for the underdog, helping people who needed help and in many cases never looking for compensation. He had this infectious laugh, dry sense of humor and appetite for fine food, family and friends that we will never forget.”
The son of the late David and Charlotte (Greenstein), Mr. Kunian graduated from Phillips Academy, Amherst College, Harvard Law School, and the London School of Economics. He leaves his wife, Lois Rome Kunian; his sons and their families, Andrew and David Kunian and his wife, Renee Bigelow, and their daughters, Charlotte and Leila. He also leaves his brother Dennis, his wife Janie, and family Danielle and Derek Wallis and children Sophia and Owen, and Alexandra Kunian, and her daughters Zahra and Samira Nicola.
Mr. Kunian also leaves his sister-in-law Ellen Rome, her husband Wayne Wibby, his niece and her husband Samantha and Brendan Kelley, and their children Liam, Graham, and Harrison.
A funeral service was held on Dec. 23 at Temple Israel in Boston. For those who wish to make a contribution in Mr. Kunian’s memory, please consider The Boston Athenaeum, The Emerald Necklace Conservancy, or Mother Caroline Academy and Education Center (MCAEC).