Frances H. Steiner

Frances H. Steiner, 87, passed away peacefully on November 1, 2026, in Macon, Georgia.

Born on January 28, 1939, in Raleigh, North Carolina, Frances was the cherished daughter of the late Reverend Olan Hardwick and Ruth Hardwick. Growing up as a minister’s daughter, her childhood was spent amidst the warmth of several tight-knit communities across North and South Carolina, ultimately graduating from Heath Springs High School in South Carolina.

Driven by a relentless curiosity and academic rigor, Frances pursued higher education with passion, earning degrees from Duke University and the University of Chicago before obtaining her Ph.D. from Northwestern University.

Frances dedicated her life to higher education and the arts, serving for many years as a distinguished Professor of Art History at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois. There, she earned the deep respect and admiration of colleagues and students alike. A prolific scholar and architectural historian, she specialized in Chicago architecture—particularly the works of Frank Lloyd Wright—and made enduring contributions to the field. Among her seminal published works are Victorian Oak Park: Five Architectural Tours, The Architecture of Chicago's Loop: A Guide to the Central and Nearby Districts, Frank Lloyd Wright in Oak Park and River Forest, and her doctoral dissertation, French Iron Architecture. Her passion for preserving community history remains codified in The Steiner Index, an invaluable historical archive housed at the Oak Park Public Library.

Frances seamlessly paired her academic devotion with a lifelong love of world travel and artistic exploration. Early in her career, she lived in Germany, teaching elementary school. During her doctoral studies, she spent a year immersed in Paris studying the city’s iconic iron architecture, later traveling extensively through England, France, Germany, and Italy to build a comprehensive photographic slide library of significant European design. Later in life, drawn to the textile arts, she spent three months living in Indonesia studying traditional weaving techniques firsthand.

Beyond her scholarly achievements, Frances was a gifted artist who found joy and personal expression in painting, weaving, gardening, and reading.

Frances is survived by her children, Stephen A. Steiner and Elyse A. Steiner, her grandson, Nicholas M. Steiner, and her sister Louise Smith. She was preceded in death by her husband, Simon D. Steiner, and her parents, Rev. Olan and Ruth Hardwick.

Memorial Contributions

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in memory of Frances H. Steiner to the Alzheimer's Association online at Alzheimer's Association or by mail to:  Alzheimer's Association , P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011 (Please note "In memory of Frances H. Steiner" with your gift.)

Please visit www.simplycremationmiddlegeorgia.com to express condolences.

Simply Cremation of Middle Georgia has charge of the arrangements