Mary Steiner Obituary, Death – We regret to inform you of the death of Mary Olsen Steiner ’80, a former two-term Alumni Council member, Capital Chapter member, and ardent Doane supporter. Please keep Mary’s firmly established family of Doane graduates in your thoughts as you read her obituary. Mary Louise Olsen Steiner ’80, 64, of Lincoln, passed away on January 17, 2023, in Omaha, from an overwhelming immune deficiency caused by the myelodysplastic syndrome. Mary was born in Cambridge, Nebraska, and spent her childhood in Iowa and Wisconsin. She moved to Lincoln after graduating from Doane College and marrying Tim Steiner of Beloit, Kansas. Working for the State of Nebraska for many years and remotely for IBM Watson Health, she built a large community of colleague-friends. She will leave the company at the end of July 2022.
Mary was a very active member of the Doane community, serving on the Alumni Council for two terms, frequently attending Capital Alumni Chapter events, assisting in the direction of the Phi Sigma Tau Alumni Association, and attending nearly every alumni sorority event. Mary’s Doane legacy is long and illustrious, dating back to two late 1890s graduates (Alva 1897 and Grace Barragar 1896 Kinney), the direct descendants of whom include more than 20 Doane graduates, including Mary’s two children. She met her husband at Doane, as did many of her family members.
She was very involved with First Plymouth Church, Sunday School, and P.E.O. outside of work. At the end of the dock, she could be found reading a book from book club on her Kindle or shopping for armfuls of annuals for her famous backyard garden.
Summers at Okoboji, trips abroad, Christmases around the piano, and playing with grandkids were among his favorite times with family and friends. While she had always traveled extensively, she planned to take more vacations in retirement and spent her final months in Grand Cayman, as well as the German and Austrian Christmas markets. Her husband Tim Steiner ’80 and parents Walt ’52 and Ruth Ross ’53 Olsen predeceased her. Mick Steiner ’14 of Lincoln and Cassie Steiner Hays ’09 (Bret ’07) of Omaha survive her. She was known as “Grandie” to Lydia (6) and Louis (2) Hays. She is also survived by her sister Liz Steiner Schulenberg ’82 (Ed ’82) of Lincoln, brother Jim Olsen ’79 (Marilyn) of Macomb, IL, sisters-in-law, mother-in-law, and many cherished nieces and nephews.