Radha Stern

Radha Stern Since the murder of her son, Christopher, in 1996, Radha Stern has devoted herself to helping others who have lost a loved one due to a violent crime. She created and maintains her website, Griefprints.com, to share her experiences throughout her journey from the darkness of grief into the light of gratitude. She is active in Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence (formally the Legal Community Against Violence) and the Insight Prison Project, as well as The Compassionate Friends, an organization for parents who have lost a child. Radha is an experienced grant maker, fundraiser, and marketer, and her extensive volunteer activity over the last two decades includes work with trade organizations, advocacy groups, and victim’s rights programs. She is a past member of the Board of Directors for the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation; a program officer for a family philanthropic foundation that supports organizations providing basic services to critical-need populations; and a volunteer at the San Francisco and Marin Food Banks. Radha’ s book, Griefprints: A Practical Guide for Supporting a Grieving Person, will be published this year. She is also a contributor to the inspirational book Courage Does Not Always Roar: Ordinary Women with Extraordinary Courage (Simple Truths, 2010). A native Californian, she lives with her husband, Gary; together they have five children and five grandchildren.

Articles:

My Way of Living with Death

If there is one word to describe me, it would be “Mother.” When I hear “Mom” in a grocery store, I turn, ready for action. I want every one of all ages to be happy, healthy and well cared for. It is in my DNA. My son, Christopher Robin Hotchkiss, was murdered by his roommate, Mark James Taylor, on March 21, 1996. Christopher was 21 years old. He was shot four times with a handgun because of an argument over where to put the dishes. It’s a parent’s worst nightmare to get this kind of news. What hit me first, […]

Bereavement and Holiday Traditions

The first big celebration without my son, Christopher, was his 23rd birthday. He was killed March 21st (1996) and born in May 15th (1974)–I still get the dates mixed up because they are both so significant to me (both months starting with M doesn’t help). We were all so unsure what to do to celebrate his birthday without him present. In the end, we did what we always had done when he was with us–a large group of us went to his favorite restaurant, Benihana. We made sure we had enough people to have our own table and chef. We […]

Oklahoma Deaths Trigger Memories, a Sense of Blessing

As used to my own grief as I am, every time I am aware of another life lost to less than a full life, my heart sinks and breaks again. I know loss and its hurts. I have been that puddle in the middle of the floor. The person whose tears seem like rivers and you cannot see the end. Now, 17 years later, 17 years after my son, Christopher, was murdered, I stand tall and happy. I feel hopeful for all my days ahead, and even though I would love Christopher to be with us, I know he never […]

Pearls in Prison: Mother Opposes Parole for Son’s Murderer

My sisters, Sheridan, Michele and Kristin, have passed on my mother’s pearls to me. I wear them when I feel I need extra love and energy. I wore them to the parole hearing on July 26, 2012. The parole hearing brought up a lot of feelings, thoughts and memories my family and I have not touched for some time. I realized with help from my dear friend Jaimee Karroll that when Christopher was murdered I was in shock, traumatized and numb. Sixteen years later, I am not numb and it has been very hard. The consequences of Mark James Taylor […]

Here We Go: Mother Prepares for Parole Hearing for Son’s Murderer

I was visiting with my sisters in Seattle when a certified letter arrived in our mailbox back home. I had been checking the Parole Hearing website from Seattle and nothing was showing the schedule. Getting a certified letter is always unsettling, so when my husband Gary told me about mine, I was upset. What was this about? It never occurred to me it would be the prison informing me of the date. The letter announced that the first Parole Hearing for Mark James Taylor, who murdered my son, Christopher Robin Hotchkiss, on March 21, 1996, would take place on July 26, […]

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