Louise Mary Stephens

Louise Mary Stephens, age 77, of Kettering passed away November 16, 2014 at the hospice center at the Dayton VA Medical Center. A native of New York City, Stephens spent 50 years as a nurse, including two years in the U.S. Air Force. She spent the majority of her career at the Dayton VA and was an advocate for the VA, veterans and nurses. Stephens also was a loving mother, grandmother and friend. She had a bachelor's degree in nursing from Columbia University in New York and a master's degree in nursing from New York University. She loved baseball and the Cincinnati Reds, but her heart was always with her beloved Brooklyn Dodgers. She also enjoyed the music of Frank Sinatra (who she encountered at a New York restaurant in the early 1960's) the Beatles and the movies of Bill Murray, especially "Stripes," which the family watched each year over the holidays. Stephens is survived by her two sons; Caleb Stephens of Kettering, and his wife, Yvonne; Arlus Stephens of Washington, D.C. and his wife, Claire; granddaughter Olga Goodin of Fairfield; and grandson William Stephens of Washington, D.C. She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Mary Cavanagh, her daughter Sally Stephens and her husband, Arlus Stephens. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday at 11:00 a.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 6245 Wilmington Pike. Family will receive guests at church beginning at 10:00. She shined a light on this world and will be missed forever.