Lillian May Stevens

A memorial service for Judge Lillian Stevens will be held July 30 at 1:00 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Glendale. Judge Stevens, 87, a Glendale resident since 1976, passed away March 17. She grew up in East Chicago, Indiana, and moved to Los Angeles with her family after high school graduation. She received bachelor's and law degrees from USC. At USC, she was a speech and debate champion, winning three national titles, and active in politics. She met her future husband, Edwin Stegman, at USC, who was also a debate champion and active in politics. Together they formed the law firm Stegman & Stegman in 1955. She was a Pasadena city prosecutor from 1970 to 1974, in private practice from 1974 to 1976, and appointed to the bench in 1976. She was re-elected by the citizens of Glendale in 1978, and soon after elevated to the Superior Court in Pasadena. She retired from the bench in 1995 but continued to sit on assignment as a superior court judge as needed for many years. In 1990, she, along with many others, lost her College Hills home to arson. She rebuilt her house and continued to live there until her death. She is survived by her brother, George Stevens, daughter Janet Stegman, and son, Matthew Stegman and his wife, Erika, and their four children, Pierce, Molly, Daniel, and Jennifer. She deeply loved animals and her friends and family and lived life to the fullest. She will be missed.