Lillian Stevens
A TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE OF
LILLIAN STEVENS
11/24/1933-6/30/21
July 7, 2021-Last week while traveling with her family from Fort Lauderdale to South Carolina, Gina decided to post the sneak peek photo of Lillian a few days earlier than planned.
The day before, Lillian’s daughter Micheline had the most wonderful visit with her mother. Micheline shared a photo album of Lillian in the rainbow tulle skirt, talked excitedly about her participation in The Tears & Tulle Movement, and visited stories of Lillian’s younger years. Micheline hugged and kissed her mother goodnight.
The next day Micheline set off to Santa Monica to visit Lillian’s childhood hometown, and the beach where the sneak peek photo had been taken. Over the years, Micheline’s family would bring back items that would connect Lillian to the place she loved so much! Eucalyptus buds were a favorite! On Micheline’s last visit, the two even joked about bringing back sand for her bed! During Micheline’s flight, she experienced an oddly peaceful moment on the plane that she would later learn was quite incredible.
Micheline exited the airport and had one foot on the curb and one foot in rush hour traffic when her phone rang. She then learned that her sweet mother had passed away. Micheline would later share how beautiful and bittersweet it all was! Lillian had passed on the same day that her Tears & Tulle sneak peek photo was posted.
One last performance.
One last tulle skirt.
One last hurray!
Exactly the exit we would all expect from such a beautiful spirit!
Dearest Lillian, The Tears & Tulle community is forever grateful for your beautiful contribution to this project and will be swishing our tulle skirts in remembrance of your spirit and courage. And we won't forget to sprinkle a little sand and a few Eucalyptus buds into the world in your honor! Thank you!
Sending love to Micheline and everyone who loved this wonderful woman!
💜LILLIAN STEVENS 11/24/1933-6/30/21
🧡LOCATION: MISSOURI
💛PHOTO BY: MICHELINE EDWARDS
🖤BLACK ”TEARS” ITEM: SHIRT
💙SKIRT BY @INDIE_TRUE_
💚FOLLOW @TEARSANDTULLE
🎤IN MICHELINE’S WORDS...
Seven years ago, on a Sunday afternoon, my mother fell. I was on my way to pick her up to come out to our farm to play with her pet pig Tinkerbelle (mom had such love of animals including raising hundreds of baby birds for the dept of conservation). The fall that day changed her life forever, as it brought on trauma induced dementia. Later that year she would lose her ability to walk. Until that day she could still bend over and lay her hands flat on the floor and still used dance as exercise every day!
This past year for Valentine's Day I ordered a copy of Tears and Tulle for her. The illustrations reminded me not only of my mom but also of the many drawings she had done for us over the years.
To my surprise she thought the book was about her!
The afternoon we spent sharing it also led to me pulling out old photos of mom, scanning and taping them into her book for her. She was absolutely over the moon with “her beautiful book”. Gina was so gracious to sign a sweet message in the cover to my mother as well.
The week I received the tulle skirt for my photoshoot, I picked it up from the post office and had it in my car on my way to go see my 86-year-old mother. On a whim I brought the large box into the nursing home with me. I am always searching for something bright and cheerful to make her days better and she had loved the book so much I thought she would enjoy opening and seeing the magical tulle skirt.
One thing led to another and before we knew it, we were out on the patio with my phone playing music and my mother in the beautiful multicolored tulle skirt was suddenly transported to her youth. She was smiling, as her eyes and arms were dancing!
What a precious moment.
About Lillian…
(written by Lillian's daughter, Micheline)
Lillian is the most imaginative and talented person I have ever known. Her natural ability to experience something and then replicate or improve on it is phenomenal. She was gifted with the voice of an angel as well as the physical abilities to draw, paint, dance and play piano. She could hear anything and then play it by ear. To outsiders, her natural born gifts may have made things appear that her life was without sadness.
Arriving earth side with a head full of strawberry blonde curls, Lillian was born the third daughter in her family. Born in Colorado, raised in Santa Monica, and spending most of her adult life in Missouri, she always called California home.
Lillian's fairy tale childhood was speckled with sadness as her oldest sister died when Lillian was a baby. The grief her parents experienced plunged them into a divorce in a time when it was not common. Soon afterwards, her surviving sister was stricken by polio. Her sister’s polio began of a lifetime of classical dance (started as therapy) for both Lillian and her sister.
Lillian spent countless hours at voice lessons and practices as well as at practices, rehearsals and performances for dance and theatre. The time spent in the company of "unknown" adults created other problems as my mother soon found herself the victim of abuse others did not see, and she never spoke of until she was much older.
Lillian's beautiful voice, artistic talents and vivid imagination allowed her to thrive amid the turmoil . She learned to create a beautiful world of fantasy that allowed her to grow into an extraordinarily creative and resourceful woman.
Lillian attended UCLA and was accepted to LA Scala in Italy. Sadly, she did not get to attend as her childhood demons left her unfocused. She did travel to Germany where she performed for troops and met several well recognized people before returning to California.
After returning home from Germany, and during a performance, Lillian met the love of her life. Michael, who was home on leave, proposed to her the night they met! They were married several months later, and their love has lasted them 57 years! Lillian has two daughters, one son, nine grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren.
After marrying Michael, Lillian's heart focused on being a wife and mother. Her ability to create anything from potato pigs on a hot summer day to elaborate costumes and fabulous meals was amazing! She could often be heard singing throughout the day. Her songs would carry out into the yard (sometimes in several different languages). She had many commissioned pieces of art and several of her writings were published over the years as well.
Lillian's childhood secrets left her with scars.
Many years ago, mental illnesses were not addressed like they are now. Most people never knew how much pain Lillian hid in all her artistic projects. Her ability to love, give, create and be the exceptional woman she showed to those closest to her and to the world was phenomenal.
Full of spunk Lillian can be found on most days singing to her friends, watching her beloved birds. If the right moment comes along, you might catch her painting or dancing.
Photo credits to Micheline Edwards and a private family collection.