Charlotte Stevenson (Stafford) of Lenexa, Kansas died peacefully on March 10, 2019 at the Kansas City Hospice House in Kansas City, Missouri. She lived to be 101. A memorial service will be held at 2pm on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at the Heritage Activity Center, Lakeview Village, 9100 Park Street, Lenexa, Kansas 66215.
The daughter of Charles and Marion (Scott) Stafford, Charlotte was born in Altoona, Kansas in 1918 and moved to nearby Neodesha with her family in 1922. She graduated from Neodesha High School with honors in 1935 and attained the Golden Eagle award in Girl Scouts. She was also an accomplished violinist in the high school orchestra and maintained a lifelong interest in live classical music.
Charlotte graduated from Kansas University in 1939 with an A.B. in Bacteriology. She was elected to the Mortar Board honorary society and served as President of the Corbin Residence Hall during her senior year. After college she worked in clinical laboratories in Endicott, NY and at KU Medical Center in Kansas City.
In 1943, Charlotte met the love of her life, Charles Stevenson, a senior medical student, and they married in June 1944. Charles soon completed his military service and they settled in Charlotte’s hometown of Neodesha where they started their family—three daughters and one son born over a ten-year period. Charlotte was active in the Methodist Church and Girl Scouts leadership, and served as President of the local PTA.
She and Charles moved with their family to Leawood, Kansas in 1965. Charlotte went back to work part time as a medical technologist in a busy general practice medical office in Kansas City, Kansas where she thrived. She became active at the Village Presbyterian Church and with a local chapter of PEO where she made many strong friendships with like-minded women interested in service and the community.
Over a twenty year period, Charlotte and a fellow Village Church member made regular visits to the elderly and sick in hospitals and nursing homes where they played cribbage and chatted. Charlotte’s greatest loves were her family, traveling and spending time in the garden. While raising their family together, Charlotte and Charles took annual two-week family vacations driving from the Midwest to all points across America.
Later, especially during their retirement, they traveled internationally with friends, Elderhostel and other tour groups making friendships with fellow travelers wherever they went. Her enthusiasm and wonder about those experiences as shared with her family are one of her greatest legacies. Charlotte often joined her husband in the gardens they created at their various homes over the years.
They took great pleasure in sharing cut flowers, including their prized lisianthus, with friends and neighbors. Charlotte will be remembered for the ever-present twinkle in her eye, her sophomoric sense of humor and her service and selflessness…all there until the very end. She leaves behind her 4 children, Mary Anne Demeritt (Bob) of Overland Park, KS, Carol Stevenson (Ron) of San Francisco, CA, Jean Stevenson (Lou) of Denver, CO and Scott Stevenson (Sally) of Providence, RI; 7 grandchildren, Amy Engel (Brian) of Lee’s Summit, MO, Colin Turner (Nancy) of San Francisco, CA, Claire Turner (Sam) of Brooklyn, NY, Anna Rapp (Ryan) of Seattle, WA, Wesley Stevenson of Pittsburgh, PA, Sophie Stevenson of New York, NY and Brett Stevenson of San Francisco, CA ; and 6 great grandchildren, Graham Engel, Quinn Engel, Charlotte Turner, Lisi Turner, Del Turner and Adam Rapp.
Her husband, Charles, and her two brothers, Chester and Milton Stafford, predeceased her. Burial will be private.
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