Grace Louise Stevens

STEVENS, Grace Louise
Kalamazoo, MI Grace Louise Stevens original family surname of Stephan died on May 1, 2009 at her residence. She was born January 15, 1932, in Saginaw, Ml, the daughter of Herman Fredrick and Dora Auly Birnbaum Stephens and had lived in Kalamazoo for about 54 years. Grace graduated from Battle Creek Central H.S. in 1950. She graduated from Central Michigan College of Education now Central Michigan University, in 1955 with a BS degree in education after having dropped out one year due to lack of college funds; she earned her MA degree from Western Michigan University in 1960 and also attended summer classes at Syracuse University in N.Y. to earn special education credits. Grace began her teaching career in Sept. 1955 with the Kalamazoo Public Schools and retired in June 1989 after 35 years of service in elementary and secondary general and special education. During the last several years of her career, Grace served as the principal of Washington, Arcadia and Parkwood-Upjohn schools. After her retirement, however, she couldn't stay away from her work as a school principal and substituted until early 2009 at numerous schools with long term positions at Lakewood now closed, Indian Prairie, Woodward, Oakwood now closed schools and as a one-year interim principal at King-Westwood School; she was a part-time consultant/observer in KPS' Title 1 and School Improvement Office's Supplemental Educational Services Program for the past several years. Grace always loved the outdoors and was in absolute awe of nature. She especially enjoyed birds and bird watching, walking in the woods, visiting nature preserves and refuges and camping. Her other interests and hobbies included bowling Ladies Major League at Airway Lanes and Teachers' 2 Game League for many years reading, writing, photography especially nature, genealogy and dogs; she also was committed to volunteer activities within the community, having served for several years as a volunteer with Visiting Nurses of Southwestern Michigan; as a "Big Sister" for 7 years in the Family and Children's' Services Dept., donated over time a gallon blood to the American Red Cross on a regular basis, participated several summers in the Books Are Reaching Kids B.A.R.K, in which children read to a dog at the Portage Public Library and often participated in school March Reading Month programs with her dogs, raised 13 puppies for the Leader Dogs for the Blind at Rochester, Ml, served as an instructor of obedience classes in the Kalamazoo Dog Training Club, was a volunteer with Golden Retriever Rescue of Michigan and was active in Dog Scouts of America, an international organization. She was especially proud of earning top adult fund raiser recognition in the Kalamazoo Humane Society's Annual Dog Walkathon for about 15-20 consecutive years. Grace was preceded in death by her parents, her greatly loved and treasured sister Doris A. Stephens Meyers, and a half-brother Charles Stephens. She is survived by her brother-in-law Richard H. Meyers of Adrian; niece Cindy David Seales of Alma; nephew Richard S. Kathy Meyers of Vancouver, WA; Caroline Brown of Adrian; several aunts, including Grace M. Sayen of Bay City with whom she was particularly close and Ruth L. Smith of Miami, FL who helped raise Grace and her sister during the Depression era; 6 grandnieces and grandnephews; a great-grandniece and a great-grandnephew; and several cousins, two of whom Bonnie Norm Wilson of Bay City and Eva Greg Sautter of AusGres maintained strong ties with Grace; and countless kind and generous friends and associates. They all made her life rich and rewarding. A memorial service will be held 10 o'clock Saturday at the Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Westside Chapel, 3926 S. 9th St. Cremation has taken place. Friends may meet the family one hour prior to the service at the chapel. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a dog-related service organization i.e., Kalamazoo Dog Training Club, Kalamazoo Humane Society, Animals Best Friends, Kalamazoo Animal Rescue, Great Lakes Golden Retriever Rescue, Leader Dogs for the Blind, etc.; Kalamazoo Public Education Foundation; Communities in Schools; or a charity of choice. www.langelands.com . 343-1508.