Professor Emeritus
Walter Stevens, 70, of Salt Lake City, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family on July 15, 2004 from complications due to Alzheimer's disease. Walter was a loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother, professor, teacher, and friend.
He was born on December 6, 1933 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Walter and Vera Hopkinson Stevens. Walter graduated from Granite High School, where he was Senior Class President, and went on to study at the University of Utah, where he received a B.S. in experimental biology and a Ph.D. in anatomy, with a minor in radiobiology. He became an instructor for the Department of Anatomy at the U. of U. in 1962. He was promoted to Assistant Professor in 1964, to Associate Professor in 1968, and, finally, to Professor of Anatomy in 1974. In 1981, Walter became the Associate Dean of Research for the U. of U. Medical School. He served twice as Interim Dean of the U. of U. School of Medicine, and also as Vice President for Health Sciences at the U. of U. In 1993, he was appointed Dean of the U. of U. School of Medicine, a position he held until July of 1996. Walter retired from teaching in 1997. During his tenure at the U. of U., he was active in research for over 30 years, publishing more than 120 scientific articles. As principal investigator for a National Cancer Institute study, Walter was instrumental in corroborating a link between the incidence of leukemia and radioactive fallout on residents in southwestern Utah from nuclear-weapons testing in Nevada. He was a committed and dedicated professor to his medical students, a strong advocate for minorities and women in medicine, and he took great pride and pleasure in his students' many accomplishments.
Walter married Elissa J. Wood in December 1954 and together they had four children; they were later divorced. He married Mary Jayne Openshaw on February 6, 1986. Walter was an active outdoorsman, world traveler, and dedicated runner, logging nearly 20,000 miles of "good" pain. He cherished his time in the outdoors with friends and family, particularly in the redrock country of southern Utah. His love of the desert southwest lives on in his children and grandchildren, who share his joy of hiking, camping, backpacking, and exploring the canyons of southern Utah.
Walter is survived by his loving wife, Mary Jayne; Elissa J. Stevens; children, Kimberly (Chaco) Stevens; Jeffrey (Deborah) Stevens; Jennifer (Eric) Smith; Craig (Ruth) Stevens; sisters, Joan Stevens Glade; Carole (Michael) Kessler; brothers, Richard (Sherri) Stevens; and David (Renee) Stevens; grandchildren, Brianna, Hilary, Katie, Annie, Hannah, Austin; and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at the Huntsman Cancer Institute Auditorium, 2000 Hope Circle, (east of University Hospital) on Wednesday, July 21 at 3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family request donations are given to
the University of Utah School of Medicine, University of Utah Brain Institute, or the Utah Alzheimer's Association, 50 N. Medical Dr., Salt Lake City, UT 84132. Directors Jenkins-Soffe Mortuary.
The family wishes to extend a special thank you to Odyssey Hospice, especially Char Stephens, Yetta Borgesen, and Jeff Perry; and Arbor Senior Care, especially Sean O'Donnal and Lily Calderon.