BETH WENK

Beth Stevens Wenk September 23, 1915 July 24, 2012 Beth Stevens Wenk passed away peacefully at the age of 96 on Tuesday July 24, 2012, in Reno, Nevada. She is survived by her children TR (Tom) Wenk (Sharon) and Valerie Harrison (Ray), grandchildren Cheryl Thomas (Scott), Coral Harms (David), Lisa Richardson (Matt), Thomas and Cole Harrison, great grandchildren Brandon, Elson and Connor Harms, and Mason Richardson. Beth was born September 23, 1915, in Oakland, Ca., the daughter of Eugene Stevens and Vivian Vane Stevens. Shortly thereafter, with older brother Ralph, the family moved to Palo Alto where she attended Palo Alto High school. She soon married Lowell Kuehnle and had a beautiful daughter Marsha. After she lost Lowell early in WWII she later met and married Tom Wenk from Seattle, Wa. Tom flew for the Navy in WWII and later for Pan American Airlines. During this time they lived in England and Hong Kong among other Pan Am destination cities... travelling at every break around the globe. Tom, Beth and Marsha came back to California to ultimately settle in Portola Valley where they raised TR and Valerie. Tom later retired from PanAm and they moved to Incline Village, Nv., where they lived for 35 years enjoying the outdoor life skiing, trekking, and boating. Sadly, Marsha passed away suddenly in 1996. In 2000 Beth and Tom moved "off the hill" to Reno where Tom passed away in 2002. Beth will be remembered for her love of the new and unfamiliar, of not going along with the crowd of travelling and living in exotic places and embracing change. She followed the paths of her favorite author Pearl S. Buck and journalist Lowell Thomas. She loved sports, animals of all kind and the great outdoors... climbing Mt Hood with Tom both in their 70's!! A private memorial for family members is pending. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Keeptahoeblue.org