Estelene (Stevens) Ladd

Estelene Mae Ladd passed away on January 3, 2026, surrounded by loving family after a long battle with COPD and a recent bout of cancer. She was 89 years old.

Estelene was born in Olympia, Washington, and spent her childhood in Tacoma and Rainier, Washington, and up and down the southern Oregon coast. She loved her dogs and riding her horses along the beach. She graduated from high school in Port Orford as valedictorian in 1954. She was also Homecoming Queen her Senior Year. She was an accomplished young dancer and pianist.

She graduated from the University of Oregon (Go Ducks) in 1959 with a degree in Business Administration and a teaching certificate. She married Lee David (Dave) Ladd in 1958 and they spent their early marriage in Alexandria, Virginia. All of her children were born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They all graduated from high school in St. Louis, Missouri, where the family moved in 1977. Estelene and Dave spent their retirement in Lititz, Pennsylvania, and Brunswick, Ohio.

After graduating college, Estelene worked as a high-school business education teacher and real estate agent in Albuquerque and an administrative coordinator in St. Louis.

She was an active member of Alpha Phi and the Lioness Club of Lititz where she served as the club president twice and received the prestigious Melvin Jones Fellowship award for leadership and her many contributions. She also volunteered for many years at Brethren Village retirement community in Lititz.

She was an avid reader of historical fiction and she loved to play gin rummy and Trivial Pursuit with her family. She was also a skilled bridge player. She loved crossword puzzles, Scrabble and Words with Friends.

She loved cooking and holiday festivities and spending time with her grandchildren. She loved attending Cardinal baseball games in St. Louis and watching Pac 10 football games on TV.

She was also a strong advocate for women's rights and education.

Estelene was preceded in death by her parents Leroy and Wilma (Randol) Stevens and her sister Merle Wehmhoff. She is survived by her husband Dave Ladd and her three children Andrew Ladd (wife Kumi), Randall Ladd (wife Susan) and Mary (Ladd) McCray (husband John) and their four grandchildren Adam Ladd, Sarah Ladd, Eliza Ladd and Jason Ladd.

Her family will remember her as intelligent, sincere, compassionate, very strong and a hard worker. She was very sociable and liked by everyone.

Memorial services have yet to be determined.

The family requests that gifts be directed to the Women in Business Student Group Fund at the University of Oregon in memory of Estelene (Stevens) Ladd.

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