Flo Stein

Flo Stein, died peacefully on October 30, 2014, after a short illness, with family and her dear friend Kathleen Fagen and Dr. Kate Morris, MD at her side. She was preceded in death by her parents Sylvia and Harry B. Stein and sister, Marsha Lissauer. She is survived by her life partner Becky Bosch; daughter, Heather DeLair; granddaughter, Brandi Bynon DeLair; son, Tim DeLair, and wife, Mayra Valdez; her sons, Cruz, Uriel, and Sebastian. She was also survived by her sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Carol and Richard Paul of Greensboro, NC, Dan and Genie Bosch of Racine, WI; first cousins, Donna and Ryan Madsen, Colleen and Kevin Drulet, Rachel Frausto, and Alecia Dowland and their daughter, McKenzie Rose, Marilyn McKernan, and Sister Rita Josephine McKernan; as well as many nieces, nephews, and loving friends. Flo was born in Philadelphia, PA in April, 1944 to a family devoted to an Orthodox Jewish life. After graduating from Glenside Weldon School and Abbington High School she moved to Albuquerque, NM to attend UNM and received her undergraduate degree in Anthropology. After graduating she returned to Philadelphia and received a Master's degree in Fine Arts and Education from St. Joseph's University. She valued her Jesuit education and integrated the value of intellectual pursuit for the rest of her life. During this time she also taught inner city children in a Philadelphia Head Start program. She had enough of New Mexico in her blood that she returned in 1970 and took on the project of helping her friend and former partner Joyce Price, MD to develop a large medical practice and vascular ultrasound lab in Farmington. She spent many years in the Farmington area developing her beautiful horse property, and doing dressage competition and competitive trail riding that took her throughout the country and world making many connections with people in the world of horses. She was instrumental in founding and developing the New Mexico Dressage Association with her longtime friend Bob Wilson, former owner of Double Arrow Ranch of Santa Fe. This multi-faceted woman also went on to receive a PhD in Philosophy from UNM. During that time she was a consultant with NASA, and the Canadian Space Program. She also worked with the space programs in Russia, Poland, and Japan, doing brain studies on astronauts before and after space travel to develop an understanding of the effects of zero gravity on the brain. After her career with NASA, Flo was clinical director for the Vascular Lab at UNM Hospital until her retirement in 2007. Throughout her life she had many other pursuits. She studied Classical piano with teachers from Curtiss Institute, and in her early twenties she studied the art of making gold and silversmith jewelry under close tutoring and mentoring of Wesley Emmons of Philadelphia. Her work had been displayed in the Albuquerque Natural History Museum and galleries in Albuquerque and Corrales. She also had interests in ballroom dance and most important Torah Study with Rabbi Chaim Schmuckler of Chabad of Albuquerque. She was a person who lived life with the belief that she should not pass up any opportunity to live as fully as possible. Her accomplishments were a testament to that belief. She will be missed by her many friends throughout the world. A memorial to celebrate her life will be planned and announced in the near future. In lieu of flowers please make donations to Albuquerque Chamber Soloists or an environmental group of your choice.