Estella "Stell" M. Coine, 89, a long-time resident of Oregon, Ohio, passed away January 16, 2005, less than 24 hours after entering Hospice of Northwest Ohio, Toledo. She had a wonderful, robust life and an "Ozzie & Harriet" marriage to a devoted husband. She was an incredible mother and a good friend to many. Stell suffered a broken hip on August 25, 2003, and she never fully recovered from that trauma that was the beginning of her decline. Stell was born to William and Olive (nee: Helmbrecht) Kreger in Toledo on October 10, 1915, the second of four children. She married her high school sweetheart, Harry Coine, on January 10, 1942, and they celebrated 58 anniversaries together before his passing in January 2000. She was an honor student and a 1934 graduate of Waite High School. She was graduated from Bowling Green State University, cum laude, with a dual major in physics and chemistry. At BG, she was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. Her first love was science, especially physics. She became the director of the Optics Research Laboratory for the former Libbey-Owens-Ford in Rossford during World War II. It was there that she worked on the implementation, testing, and assembly of the Norden bombsite, then a top-secret project - the heart of the B-52 Bomber. She left L-O-F just before the end of the war when her son, Bill, was born. She returned to BGSU to earn a degree in education, and she began her teaching career in the former Adams Township School District at Martin Elementary School. She taught briefly at Roosevelt School in the Toledo Public System before transferring to Navarre School in East Toledo where she taught intermediate grades for 34 years before retiring. In every sense of the term, she was a "master teacher," often mentoring new teachers just out of college. Stell was a member of the American Federation of Teachers, the Ohio Federation of Teachers, and the Toledo Federation of Teachers. She served on the TFT Board of Directors for a number of years in the mid-1960s and early 1970s. Together with her husband, Harry, she was one of the initial organizers of the Waite High School Alumni Association and the Waite High Scholarship Program. Harry and Stell helped organize the first annual Waite High Purple and Gold Ball, a major fund-raiser for scholarships, and together, they helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for that program. For many years, Stell served as the Chair for the Waite Scholarship Selection Committee, helping screen and award hundreds of scholarships to deserving Waite seniors. Some of the scholarship winners were her former Navarre School students, an achievement that made her very proud of her decision to leave a promising career in the corporate world and devote her life to education. She often recounted stories about life in Cottonwood, the East Toledo German community where she was born and raised, and in later years, she authored a number of nostalgic articles for local publications about remembrances of life in the old, close-knit neighborhood. In 1957, she worked on the incorporation campaign that decided the fate of Oregon to become a city. Music was one of her many passions. She grew up in a very musical family, and she enjoyed music of all genres. She especially liked recalling and singing the "standards," primarily from the 1930s and 40s. She was also an excellent bridge player and an avid reader, often completing a book a day after retirement. She thoroughly enjoyed traveling, especially throughout Europe. Switzerland was her favorite destination, but she and Harry traveled extensively throughout Germany, researching their German heritage. Stell was a long-time member of St. Mark's Lutheran Church in East Toledo, Our Organ Club, the Ladies' Auxiliary of Christ Dunberger VFW Post, a former member of the German-American Festival Committee, the German Beneficial Union (GBU), the Ohio Retired Teachers' Association, Delta Chi Sigma sorority, and an early member of the Oregon Historical Society. She faithfully served as an elections precinct worker in the City of Oregon after her retirement, and Stell and Harry were both volunteers for many years with the German-American Festival and other fund-raisers. Stell was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Harry, and by her sisters, Elizabeth Hess and Ruth Kreger. She is survived by her son, William (Bill); brother William (Arlene) Kreger; sister-in-law, Esther Kosmatka; and many nieces, nephews, and dozens of close personal friends. Visitation for Stell will be held on Tuesday from 2-9 p.m. at the Eggleston Meinert Pavley Funeral Home, Coy Road Chapel, 440 S. Coy Road, Oregon. Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday at 10 a.m. in St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Woodville and Elmore Streets, Toledo, where her family will greet friends one hour prior to the service. Interment will follow at Ottawa Hills Memorial Park. Those wishing to express a tribute are asked to consider St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Woodville and Elmore Streets, Toledo, Ohio 43605, or the Toledo Animal Shelter, 640 Wyman Street, Toledo, Ohio 43609. Visitation: Visitation Times Tuesday, 2-9 p.m. Coy Road Chapel