Anne-Stefanie Kapetan

Anne-Stefanie Kapetan (1943-2025)

After a long illness, Anne-Stefanie (“Stef,” “Steffie,” “Annie”) Kapetan died peacefully in her sleep early in the morning of January 31, a few weeks before her 82^nd birthday. In her final days, she was surrounded by skilled caregivers, family, and her closest friends.

Anne-Stefanie was born at a hospital in Grosse Pointe Farms during World War II, to Evelyn (Marx), of Greek descent, and Alexander Kapetan, of Serbian descent. She was their first living child. In order to honor her parents’ respective family naming traditions for the eldest daughter, she was given a hyphenated first name, after both of her grandmothers.

She survived multiple childhood traumas, including a harrowing escape from the incinerator in her apartment building. A beloved neighbor, Bea Sidman (then only a child herself) rescued her and kept her safe; Bea began to look after Anne-Stefanie most days, and became a lifelong friend to the family even after the Kapetans moved to a house in Wayne. Later in life, Anne-Stefanie would realize that the time spent with Bea’s family was why, in moments of great stress, she would sometimes revert to speaking German and Yiddish.

Anne-Stefanie was chief protector and caretaker of her five younger siblings. She also excelled academically, and her brother Michael remembers fondly her skills in crossword puzzles and in reading not only upside down but also faster than anyone else he knew.

A Girl Scout, she attended the Girl Scout Roundup in Colorado Springs at the age of 16. Anne-Stefanie designed the badge for her Regional Patrol #45, a wood round with a Michigan Apple surrounded by the slogan ‘Always Red-E.” During this trip, she met fellow Scout Charlotte Juncker, and the two became fast, lifelong friends.

After high school, she attended Michigan State University, where she earned the rare honor of joining the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa society for her academic achievements. Anne-Stefanie graduated in 1968, earning a BA in Psychology with High Honors.

While at MSU, she met David Templeton (early member of the MSU Railroad Club) during the early days of the campus science fiction club. The two formed a friendship that blossomed into a relationship, and ultimately married.

Anne-Stefanie worked as a teletype operator (and was widely known as ‘Operator Annie’) for some years after graduating college. After her daughter, Eleanor, was born, she became a homemaker for several years, and was active in the community, serving with Capital Area Community Services, the Peace Education Center, and the PTA, among many others. As her child grew, she began a return to work, providing services in accounting and office management to local business owners.

In 1988, Anne-Stefanie and David divorced; after a few difficult years, during subsequent decades they revived their friendship and remained friends for the rest of her life.

At the age of 45, Anne-Stefanie returned to school. She earned a post-baccalaureate certificate from Cooley Law School that enabled her to obtain a job as a paralegal at the Lansing area Social Security Office of Hearings and Appeals, where she worked happily until her retirement.

Anne-Stefanie was a highly skilled needleworker, who often designed her own works; her creative and colorful afghans were sought-after prizes in community benefit raffles, and won awards at town and county events. Every time she heard of a baby being born, she made and sent a set of heirloom crocheted clothing and blankets, and every member of her family has at least one Anne-Stefanie Original afghan.

She survived to nearly 82 despite several strokes; a host of extremely unusual and severe allergies; COPD; years of pain from fibromyalgia, arthritis, and spinal degeneration; and several mental health issues including CPTSD.

Thanks to support from the Tri-County Office on Aging and her daughter’s advocacy, Anne-Stefanie was able to remain in her own home until a severe stroke in August 2024 meant she needed 24-hour care. The skilled staff at Ashley Care Center provided a caring, nurturing environment during her final months.

Her lengthy list of accomplishments despite the extreme challenges life laid in front of her are a testament to her intelligence, perseverance, and creative problem-solving skills. 

Anne-Stefanie was preceded in death by her older brother Raymond Kapetan, who died of meningitis as an infant, and her parents Evelyn (Marx) and Alexander Kapetan. She is survived by her daughter Eleanor Templeton and son-in-law Felix Lopez; siblings, Kathryn MacLaury, Michael Kapetan, Martha Kapetan, George Kapetan, and Amy (Peter) Wallis; ex-husband and friend of more than 55 years, David Templeton; niece and nephew Lauren Whitworth and Alex Whitworth; lifelong best friend Charlotte (Juncker) Maxwell; and a multitude of other beloved extended family, friends, and neighbors.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 1, 2025 at the Estes-Leadley Holt/Delhi Chapel.  The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Saturday, March 1st, from 1:00 until service starts at 2:00 p.m.