Jean Hoppe Steffenson

Jean Hoppe Steffenson, 82, of Davenport, Iowa, died Saturday, January 16, 2021, in Iowa Masonic Health Facilities, Bettendorf.

The former Jean Marie Hoppe was born June 15, 1938, in Moline, to Manley and Lois (Guyette) Hoppe. She graduated from Moline High School in 1956 and then from Iowa State University in 1960, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology. At Iowa State she met the love of her life, Michael R. Steffenson. They married on March 26, 1960, in Moline, and began their life of adventures. The couple then moved to the San Diego area where Mike was stationed for his active duty in the United States Navy.

After a brief career as a certified medical technologist, she devoted her life to the care and nurturing of not only her family and loved ones but also her community, being a homemaker in the truest sense of the word.

She was member of the Board of Directors of the Quad City Symphony, of the Adler Theater renovation, of the Quad City Community Foundation, of the regional chapter of the Girl Scouts of America, and also of Meals on Wheels, where she served as a delivery driver for 30 years.

She was a member of P.E.O. for over 60 years, serving her chapter in multiple roles, including President. Jean also was active in her church, serving for many years as both a clerk and as a deacon.

Embodying the definition of a “Loyal Son, Forever True,” she was a devoted Iowa State Cyclone fan. She rarely missed a home football game. Over the course of her lifetime she also was very active in Iowa State University affairs. She was one of the first women to be a Governor of the Iowa State University Foundation. She was a Director of the Research Park, and of the Gateway Hotel in Ames, Iowa. She was recognized with the Campanile Award, Iowa State’s highest honor for philanthropy. She and her husband were proud to endow the Mike and Jean Steffenson Chair in Chemical Engineering, to provide a leadership gift for the construction of the Nanovaccine Institute, as well as establishing numerous scholarships for undergraduate students.

She served as Corporate Secretary for Parr Instrument Company for 29 years. She also served as a gracious hostess during visits by Parr’s numerous world-wide network of distributors. She and Mike travelled extensively as part of Parr’s operations, frequently combining both business and pleasure travel, visiting over 40 countries in her lifetime.

She pursued her pastimes with the same vigor and expansiveness as her community activities. Jean and Mike found a love of sailing together when stationed in San Diego. They brought that love back to the Quad Cities when they returned in 1962, and they raced Lightning Class sailboats on the Mississippi and throughout the Midwest for 30 years. Jean served as the first woman to be Commodore of Lake Davenport Sailing Club after serving as its treasurer for 10 years. She was also an accomplished ocean sailor, and loved the coast of New England and the Canadian Maritime provinces. She was legendary for her ability to conjure gourmet lobster dinners after a long day of sailing. She was an excellent sail trimmer and navigator. She was also an accomplished scuba diver, with over 500 dives in some of the world’s most challenging oceans and seas.

For the past seven years she coped gracefully with the inescapable progress of Alzheimer’s disease. Her family is so grateful for the meticulous and loving care she received from her devoted caregiver Tanya Drezek, as well as the staff of Iowa Masonic Health Care facilities.

After a private service on Wednesday, January 20, burial will be at the Rock Island National Cemetery. The family looks forward to a celebration honoring Jean’s life when we again can gather.

Jean is survived by her husband of 60 years, Michael; two children, Douglas Steffenson and his wife Jean (Hamel) Steffenson of Wilmette, Illinois, and Sandra (Steffenson) Tamkin and her husband Gary Tamkin of Lafayette, California; four grandchildren, Hannah and Liesl Steffenson and Emily and Ari Tamkin; and her sister and brother-in-law, Susan (Hoppe) Crookston and Jim Crookston of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida; as well as nine nieces and nephews.

Jean’s family invites friends to share stories and condolences at: TrimbleFuneralHomes.com.