VARINA STEUERT

STEUERT Varina Mason Steuert, an active and enthusiastic supporter of the arts in both Fairfield County, CT and New York City, died quietly at her home in Darien, CT on Friday, August 24th after a courageous battle with lymphoma cancer. She was 62. Varina was a longtime member of the board of directors of the Stamford Symphony, for which she commissioned a musical composition by contemporary German composer Hans-Peter Preu and hosted numerous fund raising events. For 18 years she performed bi-annual concerts with the Duo Piano Group of the Darien Community Association, for which she served as chairman and for their 50th anniversary commissioned a musical composition by contemporary American composer Eugenie Rocherolle. She served as treasurer and a director of the Darien Community Association and as a director of the Paul Taylor Dance Company and of The National Society of Colonial Dames of New York and hosted fund raisers for the Westport Country Playhouse of CT. Mrs. Steuert was a long time supporter of The Metropolitan Opera, a member of the Colony Club of New York City, the Garden Club and Tokeneko Club of Darien and the Ponte Vedra Club of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL and an active member of the Noroton Presbyterian Church of Darien. Prior to devoting herself to her family and artistic interests, Mrs. Steuert worked professionally for the The Charter Company in Jacksonville, Washington, D.C. and New York City and assisted the Chairman, her father, in hosting Jacksonville visits by President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, King Hussein of Jordan and the Shah of Iran. Varina served as a director of Intrepid Capital Corporation of Jacksonville Beach, FL and Ballynahinch Castle, Inc. of County Galway, Ireland. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Varina was a graduate of Pine Manor College, Boston University and Columbia University where she earned a graduate MBA degree. She also attended the Masters Degree Program in the History of the Decorative Arts and Design at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum. She was previously married to J. Dix Druce and later divorced. Varina is survived by her husband of 31 years, Joseph J. Steuert with whom she had two sons who were the lights of her life, Raymond Michael Steuert and Joseph John Steuert V, two stepchildren, Elizabeth Steuert Riva and her husband Sebastiano and their daughters Grace and Emily, and Douglas R. Steuert; her parents, Raymond Knight and Minerva Rogers Mason; her sister, Marcy Mason Moody and her husband, Tom; and her brother, Raymond Knight Mason, Jr. and his wife, Kim. She was predeceased by her brother, Walter Rogers Mason who died in 1964 at the age of six. The Funeral Service was held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, August 28 at the Noroton Presbyterian Church, 2011 Post Rd., Darien, CT. In Jacksonville, there will be a private interment at Evergreen Cemetery followed by a Memorial Service conducted by the Rev. Dr. Stephen Goyer at 11:00 AM on Friday, August 31 at Riverside Presbyterian Church, 849 Park St., Jacksonville, FL. Gifts of flowers should be directed to Lawrence Funeral Home, 2119 Post Rd., Darien. CT, and to the Riverside Presbyterian Church, 849 Park St., Jacksonville, FL, 32204 and the family suggests memorial donations to the Darien Community Association, 274 Middlesex Rd., Darien, CT, 06820. Jacksonville funeral arrangements are under the care of Hardage-Giddens Funeral Home, 4115 Hendricks Ave., Jacksonville, FL 32207. Please Sign the Guestbook @ Jacksonville.com