Obituary of Elaine Stearns Cummings

Beaverton resident Elaine Cummings died peacefully with her three sons by her side on Dec. 21 at her residence. Born Dec. 12, 1921 to James and Hannah Steel in Portland, Elaine attended Fernwood Elementary and graduated from Grant High School in 1939. She married Ralph Stearns in 1942 and elder son Daniel was born that same year. Sons Thomas (1948) and James (1949) joined the family while Ralph was finishing school at Univ. of Portland and Elaine was holding various office positions. The family left Portland and relocated to Minneapolis and finally Sunnyvale, CA where Elaine joined the Fremont Union High School District. She became a leader in school financing, training numerous school finance executives while serving as Controller and Fiscal Services officer. She retired in 1977. She and Ralph moved to Lake Wildwood, CA, built a home and enjoyed square dancing and RV travel until Ralph’s sudden death in 1995. Socially active, Elaine met Howard Cummings in 1997 and the pair were married in 1998 and enjoyed nearly a decade of golf, bridge, travel and special companionship until health issues required a return to Oregon in 2006. Howard passed away in 2009. Elaine is survived by her three sons, Dan (Carol), Sequim, WA; Tom (Carol), Beaverton and Jim, Homer, Alaska. She is also survived by grandchildren Beth Goddard, Redwood City, CA; Tobin, San Francisco; David, Santa Cruz, CA; Hannah and Hope, Homer and Destiny Bullock, Sacramento. She is also survived by great grandchildren Robbie and Joey Batista and Andrew and Zachary Goddard of Redwood City. Services for Elaine will be held at Hearthstone at Murrayhill, 10880 SW Davies, Beaverton on Jan. 3 at 2:00 pm. Internment will be with first husband Ralph at Willamette National Cemetery. The Life of Elaine As Told By Elaine Elaine’s Father James Steel was born in Michigan in 1893, the youngest of 10 children. His mother died when he was one. He was raised by older sisters. Later his father moved to Cascade Locks where his father died when Jim was 11. Elaine’s Mother (Hannah Ostberg Steel) was born in Cascade Locks 1895, the third child of Swedish immigrants. Her mother passed away when she was five. When Elaine was born the Steel household included her mother’s father, her mother’s brother, her parents, herself and in 1924 a brother Bill. During this time summers, holidays and many weekends were spent at the single-wall, railroad company-town home Hannah lived in during her childhood. When not in Cascade Locks the family spent weekends fishing up and down the Oregon Coast – one of the contributing factors in Elaine’s preference to have meals other than fish! She met Ralph when he was thrown on her lap while riding in a Raz bus on a ski trip to Mt. Hood in 1940. Two years later they wanted to marry – and over family objections – they married in a large church wedding at Blanchard United Brethren Church in SE Portland. Elaine’s dad predicted she would marry, have a baby, Ralph would go into the military and his daughter would move home with the baby. He was right!Eldest son Dan was born nine months later, and four-months later Ralph enlisted in the Army Air Corp. Elaine and Dan moved back to her parents’ home. After the war the young family stayed in Texas where Ralph attended TCU returning to Portland in 1948 where sons Tom and Jim were born 14 months apart. During their married life, they were square dancers, active socially, avid card players. After retirement both Elaine and Ralph took up golf, traveled around the US and occasionally abroad. After Ralph’s death Elaine met Howard Cummings, introduced by mutual friends, and they married in 1998, in a lakeside ceremony performed by youngest son Jim and attended by 130 guests invited verbally. When they married, they established a goal to spend 10-years together, and they had 11 ½ years before Howard passed away in 2009. Howard’s health issues were the primary contributing factor in the decision to relocate from California to Oregon in 2006. Elaine was proud of raising a family while handling a demanding career well ahead of the time. Her family is equally proud of a mother and grandmother who lived a long life largely on her terms and extended friendship, wisdom and love.