Katherine R. "Tinka" Stebbins

1928 - 2022

Tinka Stebbins passed away peacefully on January 25, 2022, at Riverwoods in Exeter NH. Her daughter was at her side.

During her full life she brought love, support, comfort, and joy to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren as well as the many close friends she made along the way. She was a phenomenal friend. She remembered you after one conversation. To know Tinka was to have a connection with most people in the Western Hemisphere or at the very least, New Hampshire.

Born in Stamford, CT on November 13, 1928, she moved to Manchester NH when she was a young child. She attended Webster School, Central High School, and the University of New Hampshire. While at UNH she met and fell in love with Herbert B. Stebbins, a Manchester native who had returned from oversees service in the Navy during World War II. They were married on August 7, 1948 at Tinka's family's home on Ray Street in Manchester, where her father, Mathias J. Reynolds, left his sick bed for the last time to give her away.

Following graduation from UNH, Herb managed hotels in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York before they, with two small sons, returned to their hometown of Manchester and had a third child. They enjoyed life with a large group of other young couples who had lived through the Great Depression and World War II, raising families, building businesses, and working to make their community a better place. They partied hard and often.

Tinka, a very competitive athlete, joined with her friends to found Swimmers Inc. and Algonquin Tennis so that the group, and their growing families, could enjoy the sports that she loved. As children grew older, this same group and others founded the Derryfield School.

In addition to raising her three children and volunteering in the community, Tinka joined with her friend Louise Hirshberg and started a small business, 'Tinka Ties', which designed and manufactured men's formal bow ties and cummerbunds as well as tennis attire and accessories.

When the kids went off to school, Herb and Tinka moved from Manchester to Bedford, and began spending more time at their summer house in Bailey Island, ME and their winter home in Naples FL. They loved to travel, and their children often received post cards from far off places around the world

After over 60 years of a loving marriage Herb died in 2008. Tinka remained the steadfast matriarch of a fun, tight knit family. She showed her love with phone calls, newspaper clippings, baked apple cookies and showing up to as many of her grandchildren's sporting events as possible.

Tinka was the life of the party and made every event she attended more fun. She danced, laughed, drank, loved and lived a no-nonsense approach to life. She is survived by her son, Henry "Hank" Stebbins and his wife Alison Stebbins, Sally Stebbins, the wife of her son Mark Stebbins who predeceased Tinka in 2021, her daughter, Sarah Stebbins Zepeda and her husband Jose Zepeda, eight grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren.

A private family funeral service is planned for a later date. In lieu of flowers the family would request that donations be made to the Mark Stebbins Community Center (Granite United Way, 22 Concord St. Manchester NH 03101 indicating Mark Stebbins Community Center on the check) or the Martha Reynolds Stebbins Scholarship Fund (University of New Hampshire Foundation, Elliot Alumni Center, 9 Edgewood Rd, Durham, NH 03824 indicating Martha Reynolds Scholarship Fund on the check).

The arrangements are under the care of Compassionate Cremation Services of NH.