Obituary of Judith Blair Steeneck

In Memory of the Full and Wonderful life of:

Judith Blair Steeneck, Age 86, passed away on August 27 th , 2024, in Vancouver, Washington.

Born in Portland, Oregon to Thomas Raymond and Alice (Parke) Blair on August 17 th , 1938. Little Judith Lynn was one of the first
ever successful recipients of a blood exchange transfusion to counteract Alice’s Rh-negative antibodies. In 1943, Judy’s baby brother was born but did not survive.

Although raised as an only child, Judy got to spend lots of time with her cousins; Al and Nancy Palmer (Oltman). Judy also had many friends right in her own neighborhood. The Blairs lived in Camas, Washington where Tom and Alice worked in their print shop; Columbia-Litho. Judy was a member of the Girl Scouts, Rainbow Girls, Future Homemakers of America, National Honor Society, Quill and Scroll, and Church Youth Fellowship at St. John’s Presbyterian Church. Judy served as a Girls State Delegate, Editor of the school paper and played the Oboe in the school Marching Band. Judy was Valedictorian of her Camas High School graduating class of 1956. She was also proud of her summer jobs: packing toilet paper at the (Crown Zellerbach) paper mill and modeling Pendleton fashions at the Meier & Frank Department store in Portland.

After High School, Judy headed south to Palo Alto, California and became a Stanford University Co-Ed. She majored in Elementary Education. Judy was driving a 1955 MG A Roadster Convertible and got into a small collision in front of an apartment house. A concerned and handsome young man came out to see if she was alright. Bob was a pilot and ROTC member. She was inspired to get her private pilot’s license the next summer.

Robert C. (Bob) Steeneck and Judy were married in Camas, during Christmas break of their Senior year. December 27, 1959. At Graduation in June of 1960, Judy was already pregnant with their first child. Kathryn Lynn was born in October while the couple was in Eugene and Bob was taking classes at the University of Oregon. Shortly thereafter, Bob, Judy and Kathy moved to Vance Air Force Base, in Enid, Oklahoma for Basic Training. Members and wives of the 62F class became close friends and held reunions for decades. From Enid, they were sent to Hickam Air Force base on the Island of Oahu, Honolulu, Hawaii. Their son, Robert T. was born there, in November of 1962.

After serving in the Air Force, Bob was hired by United Airlines and became a flight instructor in Denver. Judy was a Homemaker and Substitute school teacher in Englewood, CO while the kids were young. We had horses and all rode in the local Gymkhana. Judy also served as a Girl Scout Troop Leader and Cub Scout Den Mother. She was a prolific knitter, seamstress, and crafter. The kids were often the beneficiary of her skills with wonderful handmade clothes and sweaters. Bob’s job moved the family to Wilton, Connecticut in 1970. During the 9 years we lived there, Judy volunteered and then worked for the Southwestern CT Girl Scouts. Judy organized trips for our Girl Scouts to visit New York City, Boston and Philadelphia. Many of those girls received personalized, knitted afghans when they graduated from High School. In 1978, she organized a Girl Scout Wider Opportunity called “Melody and Make-Believe” with hundreds of participants from all over the USA and many other countries. Our family visited most of the East coast in our Camper and explored the history of our Nation.

Another move in 1979, to Evergreen, CO gave Judy the opportunity to work at the Hiwan Homestead Museum and take classes at RedRocks Community College in passive solar design. When the kids went off to college; Kathy to Tulane and Bob to Stanford, her attention was drawn back to the Travel industry. Judy became a Tour Guide on multi-day Motorcoach tours. She found her niche at Centennial Tours in Fort Collins, CO and eventually moved there, bought the business and renamed it Centennial Travelers. Her favorite trips were ‘Ride the Seven Rails’ and ‘Yellowstone in Winter’. Judy and Bob also traveled extensively on their own, including Air Safaris in South Africa, and Australia, and Cruises to
Antarctica and Alaska, among others.

Summers were always spent at our Cabin in the Columbia Gorge and Judy served as Superintendent of Arts and Crafts at the Skamania County Fair in nearby Stevenson, WA for several years. Judy and Bob celebrated their 50 th wedding Anniversary in 2009 in Fort Collins, CO. Bob passed away in December of 2015 and Judy struggled on her own. Son Bob helped her find a house in Vancouver, WA. Grandson Greg and girlfriend Annie, and later Grandson Tony, lived with and cared for ‘Grammi’. The Pandemic exacerbated her isolation, and her forgetfulness became worse. She moved into the Memory Care unit at Touchmark in January of 2022 after a fall and shoulder injury. Her cat ‘Cubby’ was able to go with her. The staff there are wonderful, and she had many visitors. In 2023, Judy became a member of the Daughters of the American
Revolution and a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts.

Judy is survived by her two children: Kathy Dilgarde (John) and Bob Steeneck. Five grandsons; Tony (Rachel), Greg (Annie) and
Sam Steeneck and Jesse and Clay Dilgarde. She was predeceased by her parents, her baby brother and her husband. She will always be remembered for her love of cats and the strollers that let her take them ‘visiting’. Her beautiful smile, her love for family and friends, her generosity, love of traveling, and especially her knitting. She touched so many lives. Her ashes will be placed next to Dad’s until next summer, when we plan to have a celebration of her life. In the meantime, hug your loved ones and fur babies every day.

If you wish to make a donation in her memory, please consider the Girl Scouts: www.girlscouts.org or the Alzheimer’s Association: www.alz.org.

If you would like to be contacted about the celebration next summer, please let Kathy know at:

Kathy.dilgarde@gmail.com or 970-222-7884

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