Avid Swimmer and Gardener
Stephanie ‘Stevie’ Jay Ellis Crosby, a 31-year resident of Pacific Palisades, passed away November 5 after a seven-year battle with breast cancer. She was 62. Born on August 19, 1945 in Klamath Falls, Oregon, Stevie moved with her parents to the San Francisco Bay area after World War II. She graduated from San Carlos High School and from UC Berkeley (Class of 1967) with a bachelor of arts in kinesiology. She also earned a master of arts in education and a teaching credential from Cal State Long Beach. Stevie lived in various communities around San Francisco until moving to the Las Pulgas Canyon/Bienvenida neighborhood of Pacific Palisades with her husband, Peter, in 1976. She tried to spend two or three hours in her garden every morning and was an avid reader, often finishing two books a day. She was a full-time wife and mother, driving her son to AYSO and PPBA games, her daughter’s swim meets and later serving on the parent council for the water polo team at Harvard-Westlake. A competitive masters swimmer, Stevie won numerous medals at national events, and served as chairperson of the Palisades-Malibu YMCA swim team’s board of directors. She was a member of Las Fortunas in Santa Monica and St. Matthew’s Parish Church and School, where she served on the Towne Fair Committee. Stevie is survived by her spouse of 38 years, Peter Crosby; daughter Kelly Red; son Mike Crosby; grandson Elijah Red; parents James and Josephine Ellis; sister Pamela Ellis; and her dog Daisy. A celebration of Stevie’s life will be held at 5 p.m. on Friday, December 7, at her home at 16652 Bienveneda Place. In lieu of flowers, please make checks out to the Palisades-Malibu YMCA Aquatics Program (c/o 16652 Bienveneda Place) or to the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org (click on donate, then on breast cancer allocation).
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
