Velinda Jaynett Stevens, 64
On Jan. 22, 2017, those of us who knew and loved Velinda Stevens, lost one of our greatest gifts. She passed away in the comfort of her home in Kalispell. Breast cancer took Velinda from us before we were ready, but her contributions to our lives will continue in perpetuity.
Velinda was born on Nov. 24, 1952, in Cuero, Texas, to Verlin and Colleen Trautwein. While attending high school in Houston, she met her future husband, Mark Stevens, on a blind date. After college, Velinda began her career in hospital administration. She worked with several healthcare institutions across Texas, in Edna, Victoria, Brownwood, Austin and Longview, before settling in Kalispell where Velinda served as the president and CEO of Kalispell Regional Healthcare (KRH) for 18 years. She loved the Kalispell community and, as the years passed, her family grew to include many wonderful individuals from around the valley.
She is survived by her husband of 40 years, Mark Stevens; her children, Jake Stevens and Hayley Talbert; her grandson, Jackson Talbert; her mother, Colleen Trautwein; her siblings, Bart Trautwein and Reba Goodman; and beloved family including, cousins, nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her father, and her sister, Jana.
A memorial to celebrate Velinda's life will be held at 10 a.m. on February 17 at the Canvas Church in Kalispell. There will also be a memorial in Cuero on March 4.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Velinda Stevens Endowment for Women and Children through the Kalispell Regional Healthcare Foundation to support her vision for the expansion of these services.
From Velinda's family – We wish to thank everyone who loved and supported her, especially the doctors, nurses, board members, Administrative Team members, and employees at KRH who went above-and-beyond to care for her over the last few months. Her extraordinary generosity and impact on individual lives is apparent from the outpouring of kindness, love and assistance we have experienced. These generous expressions brought us, and will continue to bring us, comfort during this difficult time. Seeing Kalispell, and all the communities Velinda served, grow and thrive, brought her great joy. She lived her life for others, and we honor her memory by caring for those around us.