LOUISE KNOCHE DOBBIE STEFFEN

July 4, 1931 – September 1, 2025

Louise was born in Portland, Oregon to George and Louise Knoche. She attended Jefferson High School from 1946-1949 and was very involved in theatre. Having taken dance since she was 3 yrs old, she performed in the musicals, acted and worked backstage. She continued with her love of the stage, working in the box office as well as performing at Portland Civic Theatre. There, she met her first husband, Ian Dobbie. They were married in 1957 and welcomed their daughter, Erika, a year later. They followed Ian’s career, living in Tacoma, Seattle, and Milwuakee before settling in California. In 1972 they returned to Portland. It had always been Louise’s real home. Ian passed in 1982. Shortly after that, Louise began working for OHSU in Inter-Library Loans.

She loved her job and the people she worked with and was famous for her Halloween costumes each year. She retired in 2003 and married Raleigh Steffen that May. They had reconnected at a Jefferson High School reunion, one of the many she helped organize, the year before. Sadly, Raleigh passed away in 2006, just shy of their third anniversary. Louise continued to take dance classes and tutor at one of the local grade schools until 2018. She also enjoyed meeting for lunches with friends and classmates from Jefferson High. She enjoyed going to movies and being with her family for birthdays and holidays.

In 2021 she moved to assisted living where she enjoyed meeting new people and doing activities until she moved to a nursing home in 2023. She is survived by her daughter, three grandchildren and two great grandchildren A memorial service will be held at Willamette National Cemetery