Cloudy, 53° F
(Sept. 2003)
Stefan Halvorsen, 56, died last week at his North Fork residence.
He was born Harold Stephen Halvorsen on October 11, 1946, in Fulton, Ill., to Harold V. and Eloise Halvorsen. He spent his childhood in Iowa and South Dakota and moved with his family to Powell in 1960, where his father was director of bands at PHS.
Stefan graduated from Powell High School in 1965. He served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam, playing brass instruments in a military band. His military service was pivotal in his life. He graduated from the University of Wyoming with a bachelor of fine arts and later with a master of fine arts.
Stefan was married three times: to Jane Fagerland in Iowa, to Tina Legg in Cody and to Stephanie Hedrick in Cody. Stefan and Jane had a daughter, Erika.
He enjoyed downhill skiing and taught many county residents to ski at Sleeping Giant. He taught painting and drawing to aspiring artists of all ages and was artist-in-residence at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in 2000 and 2001. His graphic design company, Graphicsource, served the needs of a wide variety of clients.
He was an immensely talented artist, a fine musician and a gifted writer. He was an intellectual with endless curiosity. He loved to dance. He loved music, especially compositions by J.S. Bach and Jimi Hendrix. He was happiest in the Wyoming mountains, painting or trout fishing. He was proud of the 18 large oil paintings which adorn the Snow Lodge at Old Faithful, commissioned by the National Park Service for the first new lodge constructed in decades.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Stefan is survived by his daughter, Erika Halvorsen of Rochester, N.Y.; his sisters, Connie (Bob) Snyder of Houston, Texas; Louise White of Des Moines, Iowa; and Barbara Pavilko of Florida; numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial event is being planned. Memorials may be given in his name to Park County Mental Health.
