Kristie Marie Stevenson, 41, of Phoenix, Arizona, passed away unexpectedly on April 7, 2015.
Born on February 13, 1974, at Tachikawa Air Force Base, Japan, she was the adored daughter of Gladys "Mikki" Snow-Stevenson of Danville, California, and Roger Stevenson of Lewisville, Texas.
As a child, Kristie was an "Air Force brat" who moved around regularly. She spent the majority of her childhood in Japan where she acquired her lifelong love for Asian culture. She graduated from Palm Bay High School in Palm Bay, Florida, in 1993 and went on to The Boyd School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, graduating in 1995. After college, she eventually settled in Phoenix, Arizona, where she had made her home for the past 10 years. At the time of her passing, she worked for Ewing Irrigation Products in customer relations as an event coordinator where she made many dear friends.
Kristie was a bright light in the lives of all who knew her. Beautiful, smiling, sweet and charming, she was a joy to be around. She loved nothing more than being with people she loved – laughing and enjoying their company. A girly girl who loved handbags, shoes, the color purple and always had beautiful nails, she was also equally at home in her favorite jeans and sneakers out in the country. She loved wolves, football and was a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan (much to the chagrin of many in her family!). An avid reader, you could often find her nose in a book or her Kindle. Kristie loved trying new foods and making them, too. She was a wonderful cook who always wanted her Aunt Mur to teach her more and she loved to share baked goods with her colleagues and friends. Kristie loved being Aunt Kristie to her cousins' and friends' children and they loved her. An animal lover, she adored the pets of her friends and family as if they were her own.
Kristie's early years of moving around left her with a desire to plant deep roots. Hers ran deepest in Vermont, her mother's childhood home. Her yearly visits to her family there were a treasured time for her and she was always counting the months and days until her next visit. It is fitting that she will make her final home there.
Kristie was a proud organ donor and her family is comforted to know that even in leaving this earth, she helped save the lives of others.
Kristie was preceded in death by her brother, Mark Stevenson; her grandparents, John Snow, Albert and Hazel Lyons Stevenson; her uncles, Melvin and Earl Stevenson; and her cousin, Adam Snow.
In addition to her parents, to whom she was incredibly devoted, she is survived by her grandmother, Marion Snow May of Vermont; her treasured aunts and uncles, Lila Snow Deveney (Beak Gouker) of Maryland, Charles Snow, Muriel (Harold) Neel, John Snow, and Gwyn Balch, all of Vermont, Leon Snow of Maryland, George (Bare) Snow of Arizona, Charles Stevenson of Kansas, Jerry (Ann) Stevenson of Missouri, Ardella (Roy) Billings of Kansas, and Raymond (Sue) Stevenson of Florida; her beloved cousins, Kelli (Mike) Deveney-Chandler of New York, Douglas Deveney, currently stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan, and Mary of South Carolina, Shaun Deveney of New York, Brandi (Andrew) Bean of Vermont, Sarah Snow, John Balch, Cody (Crystal) Balch and Chelsea Balch, all of Vermont, Noel Snow of Maryland, Troy Stevenson and Michele Teboe of Florida, Allen Billings of Kansas; other cousins, her cousins' families, great aunts and uncles, lots of second and third cousins and many friends, who were dear to her heart.
A Celebration of Life was held on Monday, April 13, 2015, at 11 a.m. at Tempe Mortuary, 405 E. Southern Avenue, Tempe, Arizona. Graveside services will be conducted later this spring in both Kansas and Vermont per Kristie's wishes. Details will be announced at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, her family asks that you perform an act of kindness in Kristie's honor. Tell your loved ones how you feel, offer help to someone who needs it, call your mother, hug a friend – anything to bring light to someone's life because "happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light" (J.K. Rowling). Turn on a light in remembrance of Kristie.
