Blanca Margarita Elvira Stevenson

A Charmed Life Blanca Margarita Elvira Stevenson (Vili), (nee Fernandez De Lara), passed away quietly in her sleep Thursday, May 12 at Central Care Home in Victoria, B.C., at the age of 97.Vili was born in Mexico City and grew up there as well as in Los Angeles and San Francisco, California. At different times in her life she lived in the United States and Mexico. She married Captain Stewart Stevenson in 1956 and moved to Victoria B.C., becoming a Canadian citizen soon after. Vili was always vivacious and daring. As a teenager living in Los Angeles, she knocked on the door of famous Hollywood producer Cecil B. DeMille's home to ask for an audition, which Mr. and Mrs. De Mille granted on the spot. To the shock of Vili's parents, DeMille signed her up for a short-term contract, which gave her the chance to play some roles in movies of the day. One of her more memorable roles was a small part with Jean Harlow and Clark Gable in the 1933 motion picture "Hold Your Man."Although without formal higher education, Vili developed a method for teaching Spanish to tourists who were starting to flock to Mexico in the 1950s; she spent most of her life teaching Spanish and English well into retirement, creating a loyal following of students who travelled all over the Spanish-speaking world. Besides teaching, her passions were reading and writing, and over the years she wrote and translated several screenplays, always maintaining her love for movies. By all accounts she lived a charmed life.Vili is survived by daughters Alexandra Niebergall, who lives in Victoria, B.C., and Christine Campbell, who resides in Portland, Oregon with her spouse Sandy; son Brian Stevenson and his spouse Judy, who reside in Thunder Bay; five grandchildren - Derek, Juliana, Charmaine, Cecilia, and Isabel, and great-granddaughter, Atira. Vili is predeceased by her husband Stewart, her two sisters Aurora and Alicia, and her brother Luis. She is the last of her generation.Funeral services will be held in Victoria, B.C. at Sequoia Gardens Memorial, 4665 Falaise Drive, on Tuesday, May 17, at 10:30 a.m., followed by a Catholic burial at Royal Oak Burial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Access Fund scholarship for Lakehead University under represented students, Aboriginal, Disadvantaged, new Canadians and Adult students. Donations can be made via the following link: http://advancement.lakeheadu.ca/donate/ or by calling (807)-343-8155. "