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Mary had an independent, outgoing personality and enjoyed serving others.

Longtime Torrance resident Mary Stephens passed away peacefully on June 11 at the age of 95. Always energetic, Mary enjoyed excellent health throughout most of her life, but battled dementia for several years before her death.

Mary Belle Hoofnagle was born in Joplin, Missouri on February 11, 1931, to Minford and Mabel Hoofnagle, both of German ancestry. The third of six children, Mary had an independent, outgoing personality and enjoyed serving others. After high school, she enrolled in nursing school at St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City. While training there, she met her future husband Charlie Stephens, an electrical engineering student at The University of Kansas, on a blind date.

The couple married in 1952 and headed for New Jersey after Charlie graduated and landed a job with Bell Labs. Their first child, Craig, was born in 1954. But Charlie’s time at Bell Labs--and life on the East Coast--was cut short when he was drafted into the Army during the Korean War. That turn of events then took them to hot and humid Alabama. Once Charlie’s service was completed, the couple then set their sights on Southern California–- the epicenter of the burgeoning aerospace industry. This decision turned out to be the right one, both for family and for Charlie’s career. They made Torrance their permanent home and added two more children to the family-– Cathy in 1958 and Kirk in 1964.

After retiring from nursing to raise her three children, Mary focused much of her attention on volunteerism at First Christian Church of Torrance (just two doors down from her home of 20 years) and the local YMCA youth programs. Additionally, she continued to use her registered nurse credentials periodically on volunteer projects. She was also instrumental in forming Torrance-Lomita Meals on Wheels in 1972-– an effort involving multiple churches across different denominations. She served as one of the group’s earliest presidents and spent countless hours preparing and delivering meals to local residents in need.

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She served as one of the group’s earliest presidents and spent countless hours preparing and delivering meals to local residents in need.

Later, in the 1980s, she became active in Rolling Hills Covenant Church in Rolling Hills Estates. In 1988, Mary and Charlie became hands-on grandparents when son Craig and his wife Kim welcomed the birth of their daughter, Laura. After Charlie’s unexpected death in 1990 at the age of 59, Mary summoned great strength through her Christian faith and continued to seek opportunities to serve others. She used her personal experience to lead bereavement groups, helping those who had recently faced loss cope with their grief. She also led a sewing group that crafted colorful hats and doll clothing for donation to a local children’s hospital.

An avid baker, Mary was the envy of anyone who sampled her cakes, cookies and candy. In particular, she was known for her homemade English toffee, a holiday season staple. She was usually required to make multiple large batches each year to satisfy the demand from friends and family, but it was clearly a labor of love!

Mary is survived by sons Craig and Kirk, daughter Cathy, granddaughter Laura Parker (RJ), daughter-in-law Kimberlee, and sister Helen Wallace (Bill).

The family wishes to extend special thanks to Caring House Hospice in Torrance for their compassion and professionalism in ensuring Mary’s comfort during her final days.

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Mary summoned great strength through her Christian faith and continued to seek opportunities to serve others.

A small private service will be held at Green Hills Memorial Park in its Historic Church on Monday, July 6, at 2pm; a private reception will follow, with details to be announced. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you instead consider making a donation to Alzheimer’s Association or Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation.