Stella Stevens (born Estelle Caro Eggleston; October 1, 1938 – February 17, 2023) was an American actress. She is the mother of actor Andrew Stevens.
Stevens began her acting career in 1959 in film Say One for Me and won the Golden Globe Award - for "New Star of the Year". She appeared in three Playboy Pictorials and was named Playmate of the Month for January 1960.
She starred in films such as Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962), The Nutty Professor (1963), and The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and also appeared in several television series. Stevens also worked as film producer, director, and writer.
Early life
Born Estelle Caro Eggleston on October 1, 1938, in Yazoo City, Mississippi, she was the only child of Thomas Ellett Eggleston, an insurance salesman, and his wife, Estelle (née Caro) Eggleston, a nurse who was sometimes called by the nickname "Dovey". One of the younger Estelle Eggleston's great-grandfathers was Henry Clay Tyler, an early settler from Boston and a jeweler who gave the Yazoo City courthouse cupola its clock.
When Stella Stevens was four, her parents moved to Memphis, Tennessee; they lived on Carrington Road, near Highland Street, in the city. She attended St. Anne's Catholic School which is on Highland Street and Sacred Heart School on Jefferson Avenue graduating from high school in 1955 at the Memphis Evening School at Memphis Tech High School.
At age 16, she married electrician Noble Herman Stephens, on December 3, 1954, in Holly Springs, Mississippi. They moved to Memphis, where their only child, Herman Andrew Stephens was born on June 10, 1955. The couple divorced in 1957.
While studying at Memphis State University, Stella became interested in acting and modeling. According to her official biography, "Her schooling in Memphis, included a couple of years at Memphis State University, where she was noticed in the school play Bus Stop. The Memphis Press-Scimitar review of that performance in Memphis sparked her career."
Personal life
Stevens was married to Noble Herman Stephens from 1954 until their divorce in 1957. Their son Andrew was born in 1955. Following her divorce she changed the spelling of her last name to 'Stevens' and left her son in the custody of her parents while she sought out a successful acting career. In the years following, she and her former husband engaged in a custody battle for their son, with each party accusing the other of kidnapping, before Stevens finally won full custody.
In late 1976, Stevens purchased a ranch in Methow Valley near Carlton, Washington on the eastern edge of the Cascade Mountains. She also opened an art gallery and bakery in the nearby small town of Twisp, Washington.
In 1983, Stevens began a long-term relationship with rock guitarist Bob Kulick. A little over a year later, he moved into Stevens' Beverly Hills home. In March 2016, Kulick and Stevens sold her longtime Beverly Hills home, and she moved to a long-term Alzheimer's care facility in Los Angeles. Kulick often visited her there until his death on May 28, 2020.
Death
Stevens died of complications from Alzheimer's disease in Los Angeles on February 17, 2023, at the age of 84.
- 8 ounces medium egg noodles, uncooked
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup sliced celery
- 2 cups chopped cooked ham
- 1 (10-3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped pimiento, drained on paper towel
- Preheat oven to 375º. Coat a 1-1/2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until hot. Add onion and celery and cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in ham and heat 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soup, sour cream, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, the pimiento, and noodles. Spoon into baking dish.
- Cover and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, and bake, uncovered, an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
By Presidential Proclamation, December 17th is Wright Brothers Day. Each year, a proclamation invites the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
The US Code directs that Wright Brothers Day commemorates the first successful flights in a heavier than air, mechanically propelled airplane. Orville and Wilbur Wright made that first successful flight on December 17, 1903, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. While other inventors created planes that flew, Orville and Wilbur invented the first mechanically propelled aeroplane. Those inventors that came before them inspired the Wright brothers in many ways, too.
From a young age, Orville Wright and his brother, Wilbur, developed a fascination with flight. Inspired by a rubber band propelled helicopter created by the inventor, Alphonse Penaud, the brothers dedicated their lives to the invention. They first found success manufacturing bicycles, including the Van Cleve and St. Clair.
They never lost interest in flight and continued to develop designs. By 1902, the future aviators were making progress with their gliders and nearing a successful mechanical flight. They sold their bicycle business, and on December 17, 1903, achieved their goal.Orville Wright ( August 19, 1871 – January 30, 1948 )
Orville Wright made the first flight for 12 seconds and 120 feet around the Wright Brothers National Memorial site, just south of Kitty Hawk on that date. While the Wright Brothers were not the first to build and fly experimental aircraft, they are recognized as the first to invent aircraft controls that made the fixed-wing flight possible.
Wilbur Wright ( April 16, 1867 – May 30, 1912 )
More in Flight
Wright Brothers Day also recognizes other accomplishments in aviation history. Many exciting accomplishments, adventure, and daring heroism take place in aviation. In fact, numerous museums and landmarks around the world will walk you through aviation’s impressive timeline. From the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Ohio to March Field Air Museum in Riverside, California, and the Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., nearly every state in the U.S. fills the imagination with original and replica planes of the pioneers of flight. Even the early frontier of space flight makes the schedule for aviation enthusiasts! Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center will not disappoint.
Of course, local libraries answer the call with shelves lined with books about every era of aviation. NASA also offers free e-books.
Interesting Aviation Facts
- The wingspan of the 747 is 120 feet, which is longer than the original Wright Brothers flight.
- Food tastes different under cabin pressure in an airplane.
- In the United States, over 6,000 passengers are flying at any given moment.
- For every hour spent flying, you can lose about two cups of water from your body. If you’re traveling cross-country, keep yourself hydrated.
- The President and Vice President of the United States never fly together, nor do they fly with the House of Representatives’ Speaker. Prince Charles never flies with Prince William. Just in case…
Legendary Aviators
- AMELIA EARHART – Female aviation pioneer
- BESSIE COLEMAN – First female aviator of both African American and Native American descent
- CHARLES LINDBERGH – first solo trans-Atlantic flight.
- MANFRED VON RICHTHOFEN – WWI flying ace, the celebrated “Red Baron”
- JERRIE MOCK – First woman aviator to successfully circumnavigate the globe solo
- HOWARD HUGHES – Aviator, tycoon, movie maker, and all-around eccentric
- CHUCK YEAGER – The test pilot who broke the sound barrier
- YURI GAGARIN – First man in space
