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Stephenson, Doris Irene Ryan
Doris Irene Ryan Stephenson, 1925-2012. Doris Stephenson died peacefully, with her daughter, Doreen, at her side, on December 1, 2012, at age 87 after a long illness. She was born on June 13, 1925 to Bill and Irene Ryan, the first of three children. Doris was very close to her siblings, Bill and Mary Ann, as they grew up in Wilmington and then in Long Beach, CA. A stand-out graduate of Wilson High School, she was also an avid volleyball player on the beach near her Long Beach home. That is where she met the love of her life, Bill Stephenson, and their romance developed further during their college years at Stanford University. A Phi Beta Kappa student and basketball fan as she watched Bill play on the Stanford team, Doris graduated in 1948 and worked at Moffett Field in Mountain View, CA. Doris and Bill married in 1948, returned to Long Beach and, over the years, had five children. She loved being a mother, and later a grandmother, and was really dedicated to helping all of her family with kindness and generosity. In the 1970s 80s, Doris was instrumental in helping Bill establish the successful W.W. Stephenson Construction Company in Signal Hill. She enjoyed bicycling with her husband too, and they went on many cycling trips around the country with their Long Beach friends. They also traveled throughout the world, visiting Europe, New Zealand, Japan and China. Doris is predeceased by her husband and her brother, Bill Ryan. She is survived by her sister, Mary Ann Johnson of Long Beach, CA, and five children: Kathleen Menzies of Annapolis, MD, Doreen Hagelin of Orinda, CA, Don Stephenson of Livermore, CA, William Stephenson of Hillsborough, CA, and John Stephenson of Bend, OR; 12 grandchildren; and 6 great-grandchildren. Services will be held at All Souls Mortuary, 4400 Cherry Ave., Long Beach, with a public viewing from 3 to 8 pm and a rosary at 6:30 pm on December 7, and a Mass of Christian Burial will be on December 8, 2012, at 9 am also at All Soul Mortuary, with interment to follow at All Souls Cemetery. To send the family a message please visit this website at www.presstelegram.com www.allsoulsmortuary.com.
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3 Entries
My prayers and thoughts are with the entire Stephenson Family at the loss of your Dear Mother. I have so many wonderful memories of her in my younger years spending alot of time at your home on 27th Street. May Peace be in your hearts at this time of your loss.
Paula Iverson-Kidder
December 10, 2012
Doris was such a wonderful person. She had inner strength that just radiated from her. She was a wonderful role model for the girls in the Eddy family and we really loved her. Meg Eddy Morrow
December 7, 2012
Stephenson family God's spirit can infuse you with power beyond normal so you can endure the pain of grief. (2 Corinthians 4:7) I offer my condolence to the family.
Cg
December 6, 2012
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All Souls Cemetery and Mortuary - Long Beach4400 Cherry Ave., Long Beach, CA 90807
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